In a significant milestone for the Women and Children’s Hospital Programme, and the longer-term reconfiguration of the Royal Cornwall Hospital site in Truro, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) has been granted full planning permission for its new state-of-the-art Pathology Building.

This is the largest and most-complex of all the ‘enabling’ schemes that will facilitate the construction of the new Women and Children’s Hospital for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The new building will be located next to the current microbiology building and opposite the Trelawny Wing main entrance.

Construction work, led by contractor, BAM, is due to begin next summer, once final approval of the Full Business Case (FBC) for the new hub has been granted by NHS England and the New Hospital Programme.

The existing pathology laboratories and services will eventually move out of their existing location in the Link Corridor, which will be demolished in 2026 to make way for the Women and Children’s Hospital.

RCHT’s pathology department supports all parts of patient care pathways including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, not only at RCHT, but across all GP surgeries and community hospitals in Cornwall.

And investment in the new Pathology Building will enable the reprovision of our high-quality pathology services and will support improvements in both the patient and staff experience.

The modern facility will also encourage the recruitment and retention of a high-calibre workforce to support pathology services into the future.

“This planning approval is a crucial step forward in our mission to deliver outstanding care for our patients across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly,” says Allister Grant, chief medical officer at RCHT.

“The advanced technologies and improved infrastructure of the new pathology building will not only enhance diagnostic precision but will also contribute to safer and more efficient healthcare delivery.”