Farmers get a '˜once over' athealth event

The team from Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust held a clinic room beside the market which offered regular first-point- of-contact care to farmers and members of the farming community on a regular basis.

The health MOT day helped to highlight the availability of the market-based NHS care and also provided stalls for people attending the market to see what other health services might be useful for them.

It was a big success – the nurses saw 49 people and completed around 40 complete health care assessments, with many more people seen by the physiotherapist and podiatrist too.

Physiotherapist Fiona Horton who is a regular member of the rural health team, together with nursing sister Karen Allen, said: “It’s about being accessible to the farmers. In a lot of cases they don’t have time to go to the doctor, they live in inaccessible places and are trying to run a business.

“They can come here, while they are at market, and get some healthcare more or less on spec.”

Farmer Michael Shufflebottom dropped in to see podiatrist Emma Shaw, and agreed it was an excellent service.

He said: “I don’t get time to go to the doctor but I can come here for things like blood pressure and cholesterol and to get my feet looked at,”

Susan Bingham, who was checked out by physiotherapist Fiona Horton for a painful knee, said: “It’s handy and they are very helpful. Any problems to do with my feet or physiotherapy I know I can come here.”

The event – which was held at Bakewell Agricultural and Business Centre on September 26.

For more information visit: http://www.dchs.nhs.uk.