The RCHT Podcast

On this week's episode we’ll have Chris and Megan from our patient experience team to talk to us about the new patient feedback system, Care to share. They’ll be telling us more about it and about what happens to feedback after it has been submitted. 

Last week we held our bi-monthly board meeting so to sum up what was discussed we have our chair and chief executive in the studio with us. We’ll be talking about the trust’s new strategy, why forming partnerships improves care for patients, and how our new Care to Share platform is helping our board make improvements. We'll also hear from Steve about the impact storm Goretti had on our hospitals...

In our traditional end of year episode of the RCHT Podcast we take a look back at 2025 with our Chair, David Allen, and Chief Executive, Steve Williamson. We'll be looking at the successes and challenges of the past year, what we can look forward to in 2026, and Steve also shares his news and talks about what the leadership transition will look like for RCHT.

Tuesday 25 November marked the first day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, Jasmine Godwin joins us in the studio to tell us more about it and how the NHS in Cornwall is taking part in the campaign. Charlie visited Paradise Park to learn more about the outpatient clinic taking place in the Jungle Barn for children and their parents. Charlie talks with attendees, one...

This week is International fraud awareness week and to mark the occasion our Chief finance officer Ian Dean talks to our Senior local Counter Fraud Specialist Byron Kevern about the definition of fraud, how it affects healthcare organisations such as RCHT and ways in which we can help to prevent it as patients and staff. Last week, RCHT hosted its first Young Peoples Patient Group – we’ll be findi...

RCHT recognised Remembrance Day with a service in the chapel at Royal Cornwall Hospital and online. John Clague, Chair of the Armed Forces Network, shares what remembrance means to him as a veteran, and how the network supports colleagues and families connected to the armed forces. Flu cases are rising, and Chief Pharmacist Iain Davidson explains why it’s more important than ever for staff to get...

Leslie Rust, Senior Maintenance Manager, took us around the hospital site at RCHT to show the ongoing maintenance work and discuss the planned improvements aimed at keeping everyone safe and the hospital looking nice! Last month RCHT hosted a kidney cancer patient day sponsored by Action Kidney Cancer. It was only the third event of its kind in the UK. We speak with uro-oncology clinical nurse spe...

(1:00)  With Remembrance Day just a few weeks away, I had the chance to chat with Paul Newton - a veteran who now works here at RCHT who has an important take on remembrance day. Paul talks about his time in the RAF and the support available for staff members at RCHT who’ve also served in the forces.  (14:38) Last week, St Michael’s Mount lit up green for International Adolescent Health Week and R...

(0:24) I attended the National Community Health and Wellbeing Workers Conference at the Eden Project recently, where people from across the country came together to celebrate the programme’s successes. The strategic lead for the programme, Donna Rowe, spoke with a few people to learn more about their hopes and aspirations for its future.  (5:24) It’s Freedom to Speak Up Week, and we’ll be hearing...

(0:40) Last week we spoke about October being Black History Month, and Stoptober, a national campaign encouraging people to quit smoking, but among many other things, October is also Cyber Security Awareness Month,  We have Martin Price back on the show to remind us on how to keep safe online!  (14:08) Thanks to £400,000 raised by the Sunrise Appeal, our brand new linear accelerators at RCHT are n...

The Quit for Life team (aka The Pink Ladies) join us in the studio to tell us all about Stoptober - the national campaign encouraging people to quit smoking, as well as the amazing work they do supporting people on their journey to becoming smoke-free. October is also black history month and this month’s theme is  standing firm with power and pride . Our chief executive Steve Williamson met with t...

(0:40) Our voluntary services manager, Verity Barker, will be joining us live in the studio to talk about her experiences as she bids farewell after 11 years in the role.    (18:30) We’ll be finding out what the priorities of our trust board are here at Royal Cornwall Hospital as Chair, David Allen joins us in the studio.    (36:56) Martin Clunes was at our brand new outpatient department’s unveil...

Today is World Patient Safety Day and to mark the occasion we’ll be joined by Naomi Burden, our patient safety specialist, who will tell us how we’re supporting this year’s focus of child safety.    We’ll also be hearing from our director of nursing, Berni George and the work she does to support patient safety across our hosptials.   

This week, Collette Henry and Alan Lamberton from the Homeless Hospital Discharge Team join Charlie to talk about the incredible work they do in supporting the homeless patients we see coming through our hospitals. And Carolyn Garman tours our estate with head of estates, Richard Parris as they discuss how the estates team manage the maintenance of our hospitals.

(1:18) Marie Therese House, Cornwall’s specialist inpatient neuro-rehabilitation unit, has celebrated the opening of its newly transformed garden with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by patients, colleagues, and Friends of St Michael’s Hospital. Our chief executive Steve Williamson attended to celebrate such a great achievement. (3:32)  In April, the Care Quality Commission, also known as the C...

(0:12) We’ve now seen 1000 patients come through our new medical rapid assessment and treatment unit and we’ll be hearing from some of our colleagues on the unit what it means to them and their patients.  (3:49) We have a new plan for our Women and Children’s hospital, it’s going ahead but in a different location. Programme director, Roberta Fuller, will be telling us where it’s going and why we’r...

(0:47) We're joined by regular guest Em Dixon to talk about the rainbow of spirituality. Spirituality has many traditions, paths, and perspectives but they all have something in common - ways people try to make sense of life and connect with something bigger. (12:08) Also, in August of 1942 Truro was struck by a bombing raid that hit the old Royal Infirmary, claiming ten lives and injuring many. C...

(0:51) Improvement lead Rick Strang, and our Chief Executive Steve Williamson spent time walking through our urgent and emergency care areas to take a look at how months of work by teams from across the hospital has significantly improved our ambulance handover time and allowed our teams to focus on the right patients, in the right place, at the right time. (21:01)  Colleagues on Eden ward have ma...

(0:23) This summer, Breastfest is coming to Newquay which is a lively one day event dedicated to raising funds for cancer research at RCHT. The festival was inspired by Jemma Sleeman, a breast cancer patient currently participating in a clinical trial at RCHT who will be joining us to tell us all about it!    (7:46) Improvement lead, Rick Strang, takes us on a tour of the emergency department and...

Investment in Robotic Process Automation  has saved over a £1 million across Royal Cornwall hospitals. We find out what Robotic Process Automation is and how it’s been able to save so much money across departments at RCHT. Our Sterile services department disinfects and sterilises 3.3 million pieces of equipment every year and after almost 40 years of operation, their facility at the back of the Ro...

(0:32) We’ll be hearing about a new therapy that uses an implant placed in the muscles in the spin that’ll help reduce chronic lower back pain.  (8:45) The chair of Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust will be joining us in the studio to talk about some of the topics discussed at our latest board meeting and what it was like for him to spend the evening with our emergency department team.  (27:21) Cath...

(0:50) New Outpatient Building at West Cornwall Hospital We mark the opening of the new outpatient facility with insights from our chief executive and the West Cornwall team on its impact for the community. (3:53) Prostate Cancer Awareness Charlie visits Lanjeth Nurseries to chat with Dave and Pete about their prostate cancer journeys and the power of speaking openly to raise awareness. (14:54) Fi...

(0:35) Today, we're joined by Matthew Clarke, who will be sharing his personal journey with cancer and how he's been documenting his experience. He’s partnered with Cancer Support UK to raise awareness through different platforms, including a recent film he created and a podcast. We’ll be talking to him about the responses he's received, his motivation behind these projects, and what he has planne...

On this week's podcast, we’re celebrating Estates and Facilities Day by shining a spotlight on the incredible people who keep our organisation running smoothly. From Head Gardener Steve to Post Room Assistant Raymond Kelly, we explore the wide range of roles within the department and gain insight into the day-to-day work that often goes unseen.  We’re also joined by Brian Johnson, Director of Esta...

In this epsiode, we revisit our interview with Kelvyn Hipperson about the importance of cyber security and the role it plays in our organisation. Kelvyn is the Chief Information Officer of Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board.