Major investment at Duchy Hospital in Cornwall
A £5.6 million development project starts this month to
significantly enhance Duchy Hospital in Cornwall. The improvements
will enable the hospital to meet a growing demand for its services,
including the treatment of private patients and patients referred
by the NHS.
Left to right: Chris Sealey, Paul Ramsay and Mr
Barwell.
At the launch event on December 6th to mark the start of the
development project, Chris Sealey, Duchy Hospital’s General
Manager, explained: “The number of patients using the hospital has
increased significantly in recent years, but without increasing the
physical size of the hospital. This development will help us grow
further, and provide state of the art, dedicated facilities for an
increasing range of conditions.”
Cornwall's only private hospital is undertaking the biggest
development in its history by adding a third theatre for major
cases; a cardiac catheter laboratory to provide expert
cardiovascular care; and dedicated day-case facilities. There will
also be extra consulting rooms, a new kitchen and staff dining area
and a comprehensive upgrade of the reception areas.
The hospital was founded 30 years ago. One of its founding
fathers Mr Nick Barwell, Consultant General Surgeon, was delighted
to be able to mark the beginning of its next phase just as he is
retiring. Mr Barwell was joined at the launch by Paul Ramsay,
founder of Ramsay Health Care, who was visiting from Sydney,
Australia.
Mr Ramsay said: “The vision of Mr Barwell and his colleagues 30
years ago started Duchy Hospital on an exciting journey. We are
delighted to start this next phase of the hospital’s
development.”
Jill Watts, CEO of Ramsay Health Care UK, said: “Duchy Hospital
is one of Ramsay Health Care UK’s busiest hospitals. We are
delighted to be investing in Cornwall, providing additional
services to patients and growing the hospital’s team of dedicated
staff.”
Over 5,500 patients were treated at the hospital in the last
year. When the development is complete, there will be capacity to
treat over 8,000 patients, providing many new job opportunities for
local healthcare professionals. And, with a wider range of services
than ever before, there will be more treatments and greater choice
available to both NHS and private patients in Cornwall and further
afield.