A HOTEL in Truro just a few minutes away from the Royal Cornwall Hospital is making its 33 beds available to NHS workers free of charge.

The County Arms, which is a three-minute drive from the hospital, has been made available to the NHS procurement team to allocate bedrooms to the many doctors and nurses who are working around the clock to treat patients.

Owner St Austell Brewery is also offering any hospital staff free use of the hotel’s car park, which is on a direct bus route to the hospital.

Having closed all of its pubs on Friday, March 20, St Austell Brewery has retained a core team at the County Arms, reporting to hotel manager Dan Marks to maintain the hotel.

The Brewery has also installed a keypad to enable shift workers to come and go from the hotel as needed.

Steve Worrall, managing director of St Austell Brewery’s pubs, inns and hotels, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer the 33 rooms at the County to NHS workers – whether it is for an overnight stay, or simply to use the bathroom facilities after a long shift.

"We are minutes away from Treliske Hospital and it’s the least we can do to support our friends at the hospital.”