Local organisation Evolve Penrith has called for £3million of funding earmarked for Penrith from the Borderlands Growth Fund to be used to deliver facilities that the town needs such as NHS dental and GP services rather than using the millions on office blocks and arts and culture venues that only a small percentage of the local population will use or benefit.
The group had said “it’s time to invest in health and wellbeing of the community with infrastructure and services that have had decades of under investment in Penrith and the local area.”
“Residents in Penrith and the local communities around the town face issues with accessing healthcare from issues getting a GP appointment through to accessing and NHS Dentist with people travelling across the North to see an NHS dentist.”
Evolve Penrith believe the £3million Borderlands Funding earmarked for Penrith could in a single project remove the blockage to NHS service access in Penrith and the local communities around the town.
Evolve Penrith are calling for the creation of a new modern NHS Health Hub located in Penrith offering access to NHS dentist services and access to GP and Clinical services in a modern accessible building with ample parking and links to the town and public transport.
They say a NHS Health Hub would “be a game changer for the town and directly improve the health and wellbeing of residents and have benefits for the local economy as it would increase footfall in Penrith and be an anchor building for the town bringing in people from the local community to use the facility.”
Healthcare investment has in a recent reports shown a clear relationship with economic growth, analysis shows that for each £1 spent per head on the NHS, there is a corresponding return on investment of £4 showing an economic benefit to investing in health service.
The announcement by Evolve Penrith comes as it emerges Westmorland and Furness Council are planning to spend £5million on turning Penrith Town Hall into an arts, culture and creative zone using some funding from the £3million borderlands place funding allocated for Penrith along with plans for new signage and refurbishing Penrith Playhouse with the town council.
What do you think should money be used on a new health hub or arts and culture facilities in Penrith?
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