A GOVERNMENT health minister has agreed to look into what can be done to to ensure Launceston Medical Centre can carry out its plans to expand.

Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat minister at the Department for Health, visited Launceston last week.

North Cornwall Liberal Democrat MP Dan Rogerson and Launceston South Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor Jade Farrington explained to him the medical centre's desire to expand to meet growing demand.

The centre is the town's only GPs' surgery and serves an area of approximately a ten-mile radius from the centre of Launceston.

The practice currently has 17,600 registered patients and the list is growing each year — in the last 12 months more than 300 extra patients have joined.

However, the centre's plans to expand cannot be considered until the NHS's new 'Principles of Best Practice' guidelines are approved.

For the full report, and a round-up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.