THE Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust has been given the go-ahead for a multi-million pound expansion of the accident and emergency department and new ward space at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.
The new building will provide additional space for resuscitation, separate facilities for assessing patients admitted with heart problems, dedicated accommodation for children, and provision of an overnight stay area. The design of the building will also allow improved access to other clinical areas in the hospital which will help to speed up diagnostic tests and patient transfers.
Lead consultant in accident and emergency, Jonathan Wyatt, said: "The A&E department was opened 12 years ago when around 34,000 patients attended each year. At that time, it was designed for a maximum of 40,000 patients per year; attendance has now reached over 50,000. We've simply grown out of the existing facilities."
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