On Sunday the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) announced the appointment of a new multi-disciplinary design team to lead the design development of the Women and Children’s Hospital, and key enabling schemes, which include a new microbiology building to bring together pathology services at the centre of the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro. The new Women and Children’s Hospital for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is a Wave 1 scheme within the Government’s New Hospital Programme.
White Arkitekter part of the team appointed to deliver Cornwall’s new Women and Children’s Hospital and Pathology Hub
Following a competitive process, a multi-disciplinary team led by TODD Architects, in collaboration with White Arkitekter, Lavigne Lonsdale, Arup and Turley has been appointed to lead the design development of Cornwall’s new Women and Children’s Hospital and Pathology Hub. Together, the team brings a wealth of UK and international experience in healthcare design, sustainability, and modern methods of construction.
We’re honoured to be part of the team shaping a new Women and Children’s Hospital for Cornwall. This is a rare opportunity to create a place that is not only clinically excellent and future-ready, but also one that supports healing, wellbeing, and a sense of belonging through thoughtful, human-centred design. Our ambition is to craft a building with a strong local identity, rooted in place, people, and purpose.
Lienelle Geldenhuys, White Arkitekter
This milestone follows the strategic decision earlier in 2025 to pursue an alternative “Preferred Way Forward” for the location of the new Women and Children’s Hospital, in a new, more accessible location on the existing hospital site in Truro. The facility could now be built to the west of the site, close to the existing Trelawny Wing main entrance, after moving the existing microbiology service to the centre of the site to create a new pathology hub. With the design team now on board, RCHT is ready to proceed at pace to create the new designs for both the Women and Children’s Hospital and microbiology building / pathology hub that will fully assess and validate the Preferred Way Forward and enable the programme team to deliver a refreshed Outline Business Case ready for New Hospital Programme and Government approvals from spring 2026.
About the New Hospital Programme
The New Hospital Programme is the biggest hospital building programme in a generation. It is a dramatic shift in the way major healthcare projects in England are delivered, building hospitals that will transform the health sector and set new standards for the way we build future social infrastructure. Its aim is to create world-class health facilities through innovation and collaboration, empowering clinical professionals to deliver the best possible care for patients. Its mission is to help NHS Trusts to provide high-quality, sustainable care for patients, deliver intelligent hospitals, develop national capability, and build better, build faster and build a sustainable legacy.
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