PEOPLE living in and around Fowey will get their last chance to have a say on the future of the town’s community hospital, which is considered to be no longer fit for purpose and could be sold off for redevelopment.

Fowey Community Hospital closed in 2016 and since then engagement work has taken place with the local community to gauge their healthcare needs and thoughts about the future of the hospital.

A document to tell residents about the work NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board (ICB) has completed to determine the future of Fowey Community Hospital is published this month, and there will be a drop-in event for local residents to have their say this Saturday (December 7) at Pavilion House, Langurtho Road in the town.

A spokesperson for the ICB said: “We’ve been working with people in Fowey and the surrounding area since before the pandemic. Now we want to engage as many residents as possible in the next stage of the conversation, about how we best meet the health and care needs of the community in the coming years.”

A ‘community stakeholder group’ was set up to look at the future of the hospital. Members include local GPs, Cornwall and town councillors, people from the Fowey Hospital and Welfare Committee, patient participation groups, health and care and voluntary sector staff including staff who have worked in the hospital.

They explored potential options for use of the hospital and came to the conclusion that the building is no longer fit for purpose for healthcare.

Fowey Community Hospital originally provided a basic minor injury service which closed in 2015. It was rarely used before it closed – about one person a week attended. Most people from the area chose to travel to the minor injury unit in St Austell which has X-ray facilities. People with basic minor injuries can now access treatment from the local GP practice in Fowey, and those with more serious injuries that are appropriate for a minor injury unit can go to St Austell.

The hospital originally had ten beds, which reduced to six in March 2016 due to fire safety concerns.

Among the reasons the hospital is no longer able to provide healthcare is that it requires significant investment to bring it up to a state for modern care and it can only provide six beds which is now considered too small and that such a hospital should contain a minimum of 16 beds. It is also in a residential area and cannot be extended.

A full review of the larger 12-bed Edward Hain Hospital in St Ives found that it was not suitable for providing inpatient health and care services. It was decided that reopening it would not be safe or affordable. Since Fowey Hospital is even smaller, it would be even less practical to re-open, the ICB believes.

The board also looked at whether the building could be redeveloped as a care home, but concluded it is too small, it would cost too much to renovate and it is difficult to find staff who can afford to live and work in the area. Other options such as using it for clinics, day services or as a community hub were also ruled out due to cost.

The new booklet states: “We have looked at data to understand whether Fowey residents can still access community hospital beds and where people went. Recent data shows that in the recent 12 months, there were 65 community hospital admissions by people from Fowey. This is 24 more admissions than before Fowey closed, showing that people can still access a community hospital bed.

“Fifty one per cent went to Bodmin Hospital (13 miles away), 17 per cent to St Austell (eight miles away), 15 per cent to Liskeard (20 miles away), eight per cent to Camborne/Redruth (39 miles away) and nine per cent to other sites. All sites provide a higher level of care than was provided at Fowey hospital.

“We feel passionately that people deserve to have their care delivered in buildings that can deliver 21st century care that best meets their needs.”

Local residents can talk to members of the NHS board at a drop in event from 11am to 2pm on Saturday at Pavilion House. You can also find further information, sign up to receive email updates and give your views in an online survey at https://cios.icb.nhs.uk/fowey/

NHS Cornwall & Isles of Scilly’s Integrated Care Board will make a final decision about the hospital at a meeting held in public after all the feedback is received in January.