Royal Cornwall Hospital 5.08

The Royal Cornwall Hospital, formerly and still commonly known as Treliske Hospital, is a medium-sized teaching hospital in Treliske, on the outskirts of Truro, Cornwall, England. The hospital was previously used for clinical training of medical students from the Peninsula Medical School, which was maintained by the University of Plymouth and the University of Exeter. In 2012 the University of Exeter left their partnership with Plymouth and established their own medical school, meaning the hospital currently provides teaching for both Peninsula and University of Exeter medical students.The Royal Cornwall Hospital is one of three main hospitals operated by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, the others being St Michael's Hospital, Hayle and West Cornwall Hospital, Penzance.HistoryOn 12 August 1799, the Royal Cornwall Infirmary opened in Truro paid for by George IV. It was the first of its kind in Cornwall and was designed to service the mining community. Initially holding 20 beds, the infirmary was expanded to include 180 beds in 1939. After the formation of the NHS, a new hospital was built at Treliske, including 180 beds and 6 wards, and was opened by Princess Alexandra on 12 July 1968. The hospital expanded to include 650 beds in 1999, and then served 110,000 patients each year, with services transferred from the old infirmary after 1992. The infirmary closed down in 1999, and has since been redeveloped with housing and a health centre.