The opening of a £3m health centre in Cornwall is enabling more patients to be seen, diagnosed and treated closer to home.
Penntorr Health in Torpoint was developed by Community Health Partnerships (CHP) and LIFT company, Community 1st Cornwall, in partnership with NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group, Peninsula Community Health, NHS Property Services, South West Ambulance Services NHS Foundation Trust (SWAST) and the Rame Group GP practice.
The initial concept was the result of a wide-ranging service review and public engagement exercise which refreshed the local estate strategy and identified the need to create a new healthcare facility.
Built on a former Second World War Navy training base, it replaces three properties that the service review showed were no longer fit for purpose.
As well as being the new home to the Rame Group GP Practice, the centre provides a range of community clinical services, including physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. It is also a base for district and community nursing teams and is home to a Lloyds Pharmacy and a new surgical treatment suite where a range of minor procedures can be carried out. In addition, South Western Ambulance Service has dedicated facilities on site for its staff and uses the centre as a base from which to respond to emergency calls.
Antek Lejk, executive director at Community Health Partnerships (CHP), said: “Having the right healthcare estate in place is critical to improving services and responding to the challenges the health sector is facing.
“The development of Penntorr Health is testament to the benefits that can be reaped from a thorough and practical review and refresh of existing health and social care needs, services and estate.”
The building’s intelligent design includes a single main reception, shared clinical areas, staff facilities, and administration areas, all of which encourage efficient and effective utilisation of the space and help to futureproof the flexibility of the range of services the centre can provide.
Rame Group family GP, Dr Lawrence Barnes, said: “The facility at Penntorr offers us the opportunity to provide first-class general practice from state-of-the-art premises.
“It allows us to integrate care with other team members and, due to the capacity of the building, to invite hospital colleagues to run clinics, perform investigations, and carry out procedures closer to our patients' homes.”
- Companies:
- South Western Ambulance Service
- Community Health Partnerships
- NHS Property Services
- Community 1st Cornwall
