Free health checks for farmers scheme to be expanded

Free health checks provided to farmers by Shropshire Council’s community wellbeing outreach team are being extended beyond the pilot period.

Rather than being held weekly, the council’s mobile clinic will in future visit the Shrewsbury livestock market, one of the busiest in the West Midlands, on the first and third Tuesday in the month from 9am until approximately 2pm, depending on demand and continuing on Tuesday 21 March 2023.

Partners from NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Diabetes Team and Severn Trent will also be attending some of the clinics to extend the advice and awareness services offered to farmers.

Further services may be added to the mobile clinic which is supported by Shropshire Rural Support and auctioneers Halls.

An outreach officer from Severn Trent joined the council’s community wellbeing outreach team on Tuesday 7 March to offer advice on a range of topics including paying water bills, supply interruptions and main pipe bursts.

An outreach worker from the diabetes team will join the mobile clinic on Tuesday 4 April to raise awareness about the health condition and offer treatment advice.

The mobile clinic, which has two rooms, will be at Shrewsbury Livestock Auction Centre on Tuesdays: 21 March, 4 April, 18 April, 2 May and 18 May in the next few months.

The council is also planning a similar service at other livestock markets in the county, including at Ludlow where, on Friday 24 March, the community wellbeing outreach team will be promoting the health check prior to the launch on Friday 14 April.