Private hospital to work with the Royal Cornwall Hospital during the coronavirus pandemic

A private hospital in Truro is working with the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust to support patients during the coronavirus pandemic.

Duchy Hospital, which is run by Ramsay Health Care UK, has made its entire hospital capacity and all staff available to help in the fight against COVID-19.

The two hospitals already work together but this major move is the result of a special deal between the company and the NHS to help cope with the outbreak.

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The changes are as follows:

• The RCH'S Lowen Ward, which looks after haematology, oncology and palliative care patients, is moving to the Duchy Hospital site

• The RCHT Medical Day Unit and staff are also relocating to the site

• Duchy Hospital has provided an anaesthetist, a theatre team, physios and OTs to support the trauma team at St Michael's in Hayle

• Clinical staff at Duchy Hospital will be trained to work in ITU (Intensive Therapy Unit) so they can be available in later phases of Covid-19

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