The Stratton Mobile Health Unit

Background

The need for the mobile surgery has come about due to the retirement of a GP who held local surgeries in the villages in the Week St Mary, Morwenstow and Kilkhampton area, in the far north of the County. This is an extremely rural area, with limited conventional public transport services. The retirement would have resulted in the need for up to 4,500 patients having to find suitable transport to make the journey in to the Stratton Health centre.

The Concept

It is considered that the project breaks new ground in terms of “taking the services to the people”, rather than the traditional issue of finding suitable transport to “take the people to the service”.

The surgery takes fully DDA compliant primary care facilities to the people; thus, removing the need to travel to Stratton Health Centre. Around 4,500 registered patients will have access to the mobile surgery. In addition, the unit has a secondary in treating holidaymakers in the Bude area, who will be able to attend for the treatment of minor ailments/injuries each morning at the local town car park.

The vehicle is a custom built body on an Isuzu chassis, and comprises of separate waiting, consulting, and treatment rooms. It meets Disability Discrimination Act requirements, and the consulting room is soundproofed to current privacy standards. The vehicle is normally manned by a GP, practice nurse or physiotherapist and driver/security person. The vehicle performs the role that any normal surgery would fulfil. An on board computer maintains patient records and enable standard prescriptions to be printed.

Funding

The Stratton Mobile Health Unit is a partnership project funded by the Countryside Agency, Health Action Zone (HAZ), Cornwall County Council, and Stratton Health Centre. The capital cost of the mobile unit is £105,000. There is then additional revenue cost to the Health Centre in terms of ongoing daily operation of the unit.

Issues and Solutions

The project has experienced some delays while specific commercial vehicle registration and insurance issues were addressed. These problems have now been resolved.

Progress to Date, and Future Proposals

Initial trials were carried out in December 2002, and the unit became fully operation in early 2003.

The Department of Health have expressed a deep interest in the outcomes of the project. The number of patients using this unit will be monitored and the results may culminate in other units being brought into service across other rural parts of the County.

For further information please contact pboorman@cornwall.gov.uk

Last revised - 22nd July 2003