97% of patients are discharged or admitted within four hours

The trust which runs the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske, near Truro, says the existing unit cannot cope with the increasing number of patients.

When it opened 12 years ago, the accident and emergency department treated 34,000 patients a year. Now the figure has risen to 50,000

The extension is expected to be open in two years.

Improved access

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust says staff at the hospital have worked to reduce waiting times in facilities which are not designed for the current number of patients.

More than 97% of accident and emergency patients are now discharged or admitted within four hours.

The new building will have extra facilities for resuscitation, children and heart patients.

The trust says the design of the unit will also allow better access to other parts of the hospital to speed up diagnostic tests and the movement of patients to other wards.