West Cornwall Hospital

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust is the principal provider of acute care services in Cornwall. The trust is not a Foundation Trust and performance is monitored by the Trust Development Authority (TDA).

The trust serves a population of around 450,000 people, a figure that can be doubled by holidaymakers during the busiest times of the year.

Cornwall ranks 110th out of 326 local authorities for deprivation (with 1st being the most deprived).

West Cornwall Hospital is located in Penzance and is one of three acute hospital locations run by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (the others being The Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro and St Michael’s Hospital, Hayle). It provides medical inpatient care for older people and day case surgery, as well as diagnostic and therapy services and a wide range of outpatient clinics. The hospital has a 24-hour urgent care centre, which is run by the trust and is a type 3 doctor-led service. This type of service is more comprehensive than a minor injury unit but not as extensive as an Emergency Department (for example, patients with major trauma injuries or suffering a heart attack would be taken directly to Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro).