Published by Emma Carton at 3:15pm 12th September 2019. (Updated at 3:18pm 12th September 2019)

Drop-in sessions are being held on the future of health care in west Cornwall.

The first is happening in St Ives tonight, amid a review of community services right across Penwith.

Locals are demanding reassurance over what will happen to the Edward Hain community hospital.

Pirate FM asked NHS Kernow if it could guarantee that the hospital will not face permanent closure.

GP and spokesperson, Dr Iain Chorlton, told us that no decisions have been made on any services.

"I want to be absolutely clear that we've made no decision on the future of any services in Penwith.

"What we want is for the outcomes for the people who live and work in that area of our county to have the best outcomes.

"It's not about buildings, it's about the services that we wrap around people.

"It's about how we can support people to live, as I've said they want to do, in the community and have services available for them as near to home as possible".

Dr Iain Chorlton

Drop-in sessions are being held about the future of health care services across west Cornwall, including Edward Hain hospital in St Ives

What work is happening to improve health services?

NHS Kernow says the main aim is to make sure people living in the Penwith area get the care they need close to home.

"We've recently upgraded the Urgent Treatment Centre at West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance.

"That now provides care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for anyone who needs urgent medical care for injury or a health condition.

"People in Penwith have a real focus and want to support people who are of that older population with those more complex needs and they don't want them to travel far away from home to receive that care.

"We know that the primary care GP services work really well in Penwith and we've got the example of the state-of-the-art, £6 million medical centre that opened at St Clare earlier this year.

"That's bringing three practices together under one roof who are now much more closely working together and focused on the needs of their local population".

Dr Iain Chorlton

The drop-in sessions are being held in St Ives, St Just and Penzance over the next week, amid a review across the Penwith area of Cornwall

What are the drop-in sessions about?

There is a chance to find out more about the work to review community services in Penwith by attending one of three drop-in sessions during the coming month.

The NHS, Cornwall Council and partner organisations are looking at the local needs and community service provision in the Penwith area, and what this means for the future of Edward Hain Community Hospital in St Ives.

During the past 18 months, officials have been working with people who live and work in the area to understand what health and care services are needed in the community.

It is part of the work to create a health and care system that is fit for the 21st century, and to put people and their needs at the heart of these plans.

What they have said has been used to develop plans on how health, care and community services should respond to the health and care needs of people in Penwith.

Three drop-in sessions have been organised for anyone who has not had the opportunity to attend one of the workshops, but would like to find out more about the work, share their thoughts, and have any questions answered.

The sessions will take place from 6.30pm to 8.30pm and people are welcome to drop in at any time during those hours at:

1. Thursday 12 September - St Ives Leisure Centre, Trenwith, The Burrows, St Ives TR26 1HB
2. Tuesday 17 September - The Knut, rear of 1-4 Market Street, St Just, TR19 7HX
3. Thursday 3 October - The Alverne Room, St Johns Hall, Penalverne Drive, Penzance TR18 2QZ.

 

 

 

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