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Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) is the main provider of acute and specialist care services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. It serves a population of around 470,000 people, a figure that can increase significantly with visitors during the busiest times of the year. We employ approximately 6,700 staff and have a budget of approximately £580 million.

RCHT is responsible for the provision of services at three main sites with approximately 750 inpatient beds:

• Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro
• St Michael’s Hospital in Hayle
• West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance

We are a teaching hospital in partnership with the University of Exeter Medical School, University of Plymouth School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Peninsula Dental School.

Keeping at the forefront of medical advances, we are continually developing our clinical services as well as our facilities, and are committed to maximising the range of specialist care that can be offered locally. Allied to this is a growing reputation for research and innovation.

The Knowledge Spa on the Royal Cornwall Hospital site is the base for medical and nursing as well as ongoing education for health professions in clinical and non-clinical roles. This plays a vital part in attracting and retaining highly skilled teams of doctors, nurses and other health professionals who support the care of well over half a million people each year.

Our 10-year strategy, ‘Outstanding Care for One and All’ set out our ambitions for the future, including our flagship Women and Children’s Hospital, part of the national New Hospitals Programme.  It represents the biggest ever single investment in healthcare in Cornwall and is due for complete in 2028.

This is an exciting time to be a part of team RCHT. If you’d like to be part of our future, take a look at our current vacancies.

Our values

Our Trust Values set out how we work together, and what you can expect from us.

Anti-Discrimination Statement

On behalf of the Trust Board and Senior Leadership Team we commit to eliminating discrimination and promoting equality and diversity in our policies, practices and procedures and we want to support you to do the same in your dealings with all staff, patients, visitors, and partners.

Our commitment to fairness and equal opportunities must be at the core of everything that we do. We strive to treat everyone equitably and with the same attention, courtesy, compassion, and respect. This includes the way that we communicate and engage with each other, the public and external stakeholders including the Armed Forces.

Discrimination has no place at RCHT. We recognise that we have work to do and remain committed to eradicating discrimination in all its forms. Our staff and our patients have the right to work and receive treatment in an environment which is free from abuse, including bullying and harassment and gives them the dignity and respect to which they are entitled.

Discrimination arising from individual characteristics and circumstances is not only unlawful, but a denial of opportunity, preventing individuals, organisations, and societies from achieving their potential. However, we know it exists. We want to call it out and reject it in all its forms. We stand united against discrimination in any form. 

Our Pledge

We understand that actions speak louder than words. While we may not have all the solutions, we are committed to learning and growing. This commitment requires more than just lip service; we are taking concrete steps to effect change. To be a fully anti-discrimination organisation Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT) will take the following steps:

• We will work to create a diverse and equitable workplace culture, where everyone feels valued and supported, regardless of their:
  • age (in respect of employment matters only), race, racial group, colour, ethnic or national origins. Gender, pregnancy, or marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religion or belief.

• We will provide equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) education and training to raise awareness of our own roles and biases in perpetuating discriminatory behaviour.

• We will share anonymised staff/patient stories when concerns are raised to ensure the impact of discrimination is felt and understood by the wider team – enabling us all to reflect on our own behaviours in a timely way.

• We will review our current processes to eliminate discrimination in:
  • Our hiring and promotion practices.
  • Our case investigation and decision-making processes.

• We will provide anti-discrimination training for all staff and create safe spaces for open and honest conversations about protected characteristics.

• We will continue to strengthen the voice of our employee staff networks, enabling staff groups to influence strategy and actions.

• We will actively seek out and listen to the concerns and needs of the employee network groups and work to incorporate their feedback and insights into our plans.

• We will ensure that all our patients have outstanding quality of care, as no-one should be disadvantaged because of who they are or any other form of discrimination.

• As an anchor institution, we will use our organisation’s resources and platform to tackle inequalities, advocate for policies and practices that promote equity and fairness, both within our professions and in society at large.