A MEETING of the Bude Community Network Panel, attended by representatives from NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Cornwall Foundation Trust, NHS Cornwall 111 and the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, local town, parish, and Cornwall councillors and members of the public, was held in The Ivor Potter Hall last Monday, July 8, writes Christine Williams.

Cllr Nicky Chopak was elected as chair and Cllr Peter La Broy as vice-chair. It was announced that future workshops and meetings would be held in various locations around the area, probably starting in September.

Community network panels offer members of the public an opportunity to engage with what’s happening in their local area, so inevitably high on the agenda were the recently published plans to restore overnight services at Stratton Hospital with a new service model to be known as a ‘Community Treatment Centre’. It will be trialled from the beginning of August until March 31, 2020 and will be run by staff from Kernow Health CIC which provides the county’s urgent care service — NHS Cornwall 111. Throughout the nine months there will be a constant evaluation of the new service. Although a decision to close the Stratton Minor Injury Unit (MIU) overnight was due to staffing shortages, while the Community Treatment Centre model is tested, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust will continue to recruit nurses to work locally to provide a 24/7 service and enhance what is already there.

Phil Confue, chief executive from Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said they were delighted to have found a potential solution which would benefit the people of North Cornwall and over the border in Devon. If it worked well a similar model might be set up elsewhere in the county including Newquay.

Mark Woolcock, chief operating officer of Cornwall 111 said the minor injuries would continue until 10pm after which the treatment centre would operate. They would be providing an expert senior clinician with clinical skills beyond those of a traditional minor injury practitioner. In addition, they would also be able to see patients from the local area who have contacted NHS 111 and have an appointment to be seen by the out of hours service. Patients, who needed to attend the centre with a minor injury out of hours, would also be able to be treated.

Cllr Chopak said this was the beginning of something new and thanked Cllr David Parsons for his leadership of the many hours of meetings and discussions which had brought about this innovative service model. She also thanked the panel and Lorraine Corrigan Turner for her support.

The meeting then moved on to other matters. Cllr La Broy said among their priorities as county councillors were the economic viability of the area, management of sand dunes and the possible relocation of Compass Point due to coastal erosion. Parish councillors briefly mentioned their plans such as using land for allotments at Marhamchurch and Cllr La Broy the possibility of a crematorium at Poundstock.

An update on the community network highways scheme had been circulated. Each Community Network Panel across Cornwall has been allocated a budget of £50,000 a year, as part of a new Cornwall Council initiative to devolve decision making for small highways schemes. Cllr La Broy put forward three schemes he would like to see; improvements to the road linking the A39 to the A30 via Hallworthy, a Stratton by-pass and improvements on the road to Okehampton.

Discussion moved on to Bude’s connectivity, in particular the time it took to reach Exeter on the bus, especially following changes to the route via four villages. ‘Connect Bude’ was campaigning for fast coaches to connect with a proposed Okehampton to Exeter train service. Cllr La Broy foresaw a future when buses would be replaced with ‘Uber style cars’.

The next meeting of the panel will be on October 7.