THERE are exciting times ahead for Camelford as good progress has been made for proposals for a health and wellbeing hub in the town.

It is now hoped that the hub could become a pilot for Cornwall Council investing in health practices in the future.

Cornwall Council’s cabinet has given the thumbs up for a study that will investigate whether the council should invest in premises that could then be rented to local health practices.

The aim is to safeguard essential local services while also making a return on the investment that could then be used to fund other services in Cornwall.

If the business case stacks up, Camelford’s proposed health and wellbeing hub could become the first health practice in Cornwall to be funded in this way.

The council has actively supported the ambitions of the Camelford Community Network Panel, the Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS England, Camelford Town Council and local GPs to develop a new health and wellbeing hub for the town.

The project has already secured £780,000 of Estates Transformation and Technology Funding, a £9,000 Awards for All grant from the Big Lottery Fund and £9,000 from Cornwall Council to cover business planning and design of the centre.

The feasibility work is initially being funded from the One Public Estate bid, secured as part of the Cornwall deal.

Cornwall Council’s cabinet member for localism, Jeremy Rowe, said: “We’re keen to take a more outward looking approach to the council’s property portfolio. We want to focus on opportunities that contribute to economic development and support the wellbeing and capacity of our communities while also generating income to replace the shortfall in government funding.

“Currently GPs either rent premises in the private sector or have to take out a mortgage to purchase a surgery. Initiatives such as the council investing in health premises have the potential to keep public sector money in the public sector where it can be re-invested in local services.”

Cornwall Councillor Rob Rotchell, who chairs the Camelford Health and Wellbeing Hub Steering Group, said: “This is excellent news for Camelford. Our town is growing and changing, and we’d like to see our local health services keep pace with those changes.

“We also want to have a wider range of services available in Camelford, such as a dentist and an optician so people don’t have to travel as far to get the care they need. The council’s feasibility study will help us to develop a viable way forward and could lead to us piloting the new scheme of council investment in health premises.”

Cllr Rotchell, and Sarah Sims, community link officer, gave an update at the Camelford Community Network Panel meeting, held at Camelford Hall on March 14.

Ms Sims, who had attended a meeting earlier in the day regarding the hub, said the £750,000 from NHS England a while ago was enough to ‘chivvy’ them to the next stage.

A number of the steering group visited Dulverton, on the edge of Exmoor to have a look at a surgery there that is on a similar scale and coverage as Camelford’s.

“It was really interesting. It answered a lot of questions, it raised many more. It was a very positive visit. It gave us a few ideas.”

Ms Sims met with some internal colleagues and one of the next stages is to build that business case. The council’s property team will look at all aspects and calculate the risk.

First step is an options appraisal, where the group look to see what options could be considered. There are three main options - 1, to refurbish the existing surgery; 2, to refurb the existing surgery with an extension; 3, a new build.

Consultants have been commissioned to take the project forward, and have already drafted out some rough drawings that were looked at during the morning meeting.

Regarding the options, Ms Sims said they looked at the option of having a small extension on the side. This would go some way to meet the needs of the community, but there would be no room for services such as dentistry or pharmacy, so this has been ruled out.

Ms Sims said the option of having a larger extension is worth looking at more.

However, the preferred option would be to have a new build so they could start from scratch.

The group have narrowed it down to a couple of options, then this can be narrowed down more, before they go back to Cornwall Council.

Cllr Rotchell said expert advice has been provided free of charge from Cornwall Council. He hoped that, as the advice would be provided at a cost to the county authority, it was an early indicator of a degree of interest from Cornwall Council.

Camelford resident Brian Lush said a new build would be cheaper, but Cllr Rotchell said they have got to prove that.

Denis Lusby from St Breward said: “Why are we expecting Cornwall Council to pay? Surely NHS should be presumed to put up more dosh?”

But Cllr Rotchell said the town was lucky to get any money, as in the recent round only Camelford and Launceston were granted an amount of money.

He added: “We’ve got to create something that’s exciting and something that doctors out there will want to come to Camelford.”

Mike Morey From St Clether Parish Council, said: “It’s not what we need now, it’s what we will need in 20/30 years when they finish all these houses in here.”

The panel was asked about the time scale for a business plan.

Ms Sims said by July they would hope to identity a model and begin a feasibility study. When that is back, they can start to build a business plan.

Retired doctor, Chris Jarvis, spoke about satellite surgeries following the news that Port Isaac Practice want to close two of theirs.

He said that although satellite surgeries were fine 25 years ago, they do not fit in with modern day practices.

He said they rarely have an internet link, and there could be issues surrounding security and confidentiality.

“They’re really not fit for purpose.”

Cllr Rotchell warned that unless a facility like the hub is created, soon there will be no GPs with capital behind them to own their own practice.

Cllr Dominic Fairman, Liberal Democrat Councillor for the St Teath and St Breward Ward, said: “We should welcome Camelford. During the course of this year some of the bigger hospitals are going to find themselves under threat due to the STP (Sustainability and Transformation Plan).”