AFTER trying to book an appointment for a friend, a lady from Bude was shocked to discover there was no longer a family planning clinic available in her home town.

Mary Whibley said: “The family planning clinic was part of the NHS. Now it has gone to a private company, Brook.

“When I have tried to make an appointment for a couple of people in need, they said there isn’t one available in Bude. I said where is the nearest clinic and they said we can have an appointment at Bodmin or Liskeard.”

Mary didn’t feel this was acceptable, saying the journey to Bodmin or Liskeard would be arduous for those without transport. She said: “It becomes a full day trip if you have to wait for the bus to get you there and back.

“The writing is on the wall and people need to sit up and listen. If we don’t talk about it services like this will keep disappearing.”

However, since taking over the running of sexual health clinics in Cornwall in December 2019, Brook, along with its online partner SH:24, has continued to run clinics in various locations and say it intends to return a clinic to Bude once a suitable venue is located.

Cornwall Council is responsible for commissioning contraception and sexual health services in Cornwall and, as part of tender law, is legally required to regularly undertake a commissioning process so that services best meet the changing needs of the population.

The changes to the service have been brought about following feedback from a Cornwall Council consultation and information gathered in Cornwall’s Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

Jackie Redding, assistant director of operations at Brook, said: “Brook are a charity and are commissioned to provide sexual health and contraception clinics across Cornwall, we are currently running clinics in Truro, Newquay, Liskeard, Poole, Falmouth, Penzance, Bodmin, Launceston and St Austell.”

She added: “It is absolutely our intention to have a clinic in Bude and we are currently working on sourcing suitable premises. In the meantime people are able to attend at one of the other sites and we also provide a digital online service.”

To book an appointment or for more information visit www.sexualhealthcornwall.co.uk