Prince William Opens Completed Isles of Scilly Health and Care Partnership

Two years ago, a future king pushed a spade into the ground on a tiny island and made a promise. Last week, he came back to see whether it had been kept.

The Duke of Cornwall has officially opened the new Isles of Scilly Health and Care Partnership, describing the new hospital wing, care home building, and integrated model of care as a “blueprint for how to do it.”

Trust, NHS, adult social care, and Council of the Isles of Scilly colleagues gathered for the event on Friday 22nd May 2026. Prince William was given a tour of the site, including the new maternity suite, minor injury unit, inpatient ward, and residential care home, chatting to staff, patients, and residents along the way and describing the facility as “amazing.”

The Prince spoke about the Duchy of Cornwall’s commitment to the islands’ community:

“Our ambition is to create opportunities for communities to truly live well, now and for generations to come. We are on a journey. We are not suggesting we have everything right today, but our direction is clear: to place social and environmental purpose at the heart of how we evolve and what we do.”

A build like no other

The road to the finished facility started when Prince William broke the first ground in May 2024. The big build began three months later, with 29 modular units shipped to the islands and brought ashore by landing craft in less than a week. A 120 tonne crane, trucks, and trailers were used to move the modules to the build site, again in under a week.

Next came the concrete foundations, in the form of podiums and slabs pre-cast on the mainland. Because of their sheer size and weight, they had to be shipped over and moved to the build site in batches. Once the foundations were laid and the modules craned into place, the team got to work fitting out the facility, which now holds state-of-the-art equipment and an award-winning design.

For the man who led the build, it stands out across nearly two decades of work.

“It has been a very unusual project in every way, shape or form. I have been doing complex projects for the NHS in Cornwall for 18 years or so. This has definitely been the most complicated,” said Ken Jones, Build Lead at Community 1st Cornwall.

“When Prince William broke the first ground, he said I will come back and see how you are getting on. Here we are 2 years later, looking at a completed facility which is already starting to benefit the health and wellbeing of people on the islands. The whole build team are immensely proud of what has been a challenging but very fulfilling project that everyone will remember!”

More than a building

The partnership has always been about care as much as construction. Led by the NHS and adult social care team, the integrated model is already helping to cut healthcare-related travel.

During the visit, Prince William met Aiden from St Agnes. Thanks to a wraparound approach from primary care, hospital nurses, and a physiotherapist, Aiden has been able to return to the islands for rehabilitation following spinal surgery on the mainland.

Anita Cornelius, Director of Adult Community Services at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, has been part of the work for more than twelve years.

“I have been involved with this project for over 12 years and while there were times we never thought we would reach the moment we are celebrating today, I am proud of all we have achieved. With the islands’ support, we have overcome many obstacles to turn their local vision into a reality,” Anita said.

“Today was a landmark moment that reminds us of what is possible with everyone working together and with a clear focus on what matters to people. We know from listening to residents there is still more to do but by working together, we will continue to improve health and wellbeing for Scillonians.”

The technology keeping islanders closer to home

A big focus is using digital technology to connect the off-islands to the hospital, and the hospital to the mainland, to enhance assessments and prevent unnecessary transfers for treatment or outpatient appointments. Prince William saw some of the new equipment first hand and heard about the work to roll it out and train island colleagues to use it.

The partnership is installing new diagnostic machines so clinicians can carry out a range of blood tests there and then, working with partners to extend imaging with the aim of training island staff to take x-rays, and fitting large screens and cameras to enable remote appointments with mainland consultants.

The results are already showing. Between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026, the number of urgent and emergency fly-offs from the islands to the mainland fell by 28%.

Debbie Richards, Chief Executive of Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, was unable to attend in person.

“We were honoured to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall to mark this special occasion, even though I am very disappointed that the weather prevented me from joining in person. However, it does underline the challenges we face in providing around the clock care on the islands. It is also a timely reminder of the importance of this new facility and our integrated model of care for island communities,” Debbie said.

“We are delighted to showcase the digital innovations within the building, which will help more people receive care closer to home on the Isles of Scilly. This is a significant step forward in improving access, resilience, and the overall experience of care for our patients and staff.”

A new home for residents

Prince William moved from the hospital wing to the new Islands View care home, where he met staff and residents including retired hospital nurses Dot and Jan, who are expected to move into their new accommodation over the coming months.

Russell Ashman, Chief Executive of Council of the Isles of Scilly, thanked everyone who had worked to make the shared vision real. Asked what the project means to the islands, Russell did not hold back.

“I cannot overstate how much of a difference this project will make to people across the islands. We are all so grateful to the Department of Health and Social Care for the Upgrades Programme funding that has made it all possible, as well as to the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for the energy that has been put into driving it forward,” Russell said.

“It was a pleasure to join colleagues in welcoming The Duke of Cornwall to the formal opening of the Isles of Scilly Health and Care Partnership, particularly as His Royal Highness has such a close attachment to the community here. Prince William immediately grasped the benefits of our new integrated model of care for small, remote communities and recognised that we are leading the way for health and care services elsewhere. We all deeply appreciate his and the Duchy of Cornwall’s support of the project.

“Now the building has been successfully completed, everyone can focus on maximising the many advantages of the new working environment, technology, connectivity, and integration. This will ultimately enable us to minimise disruption, distress, and cost for our residents and their families; make health and care services more efficient, resilient, and easier for staff to manage; and importantly, future-proof our essential services while caring for people really well, as close to home as possible.”

The work on the Isles of Scilly aligns to the 10-year Health Plan and the three shifts recommended by Lord Darzi: hospital to community, analogue to digital, and treatment to prevention. The Integrated Neighbourhood Team will carry the work forward, with the goal of caring for even more people at home, or as close to home as possible.