Market health hub brings NHS care closer to farmers
From left: Buffy Flanagan (market nurse), Jay Waylen (Penbode Vets), Catherine White (Imagine If) and Kate Crofton (Papyrus UK) © NHS Cornwall More than 700 farmers and rural residents have accessed healthcare through a market-based health hub in Devon, helping improve access to services for hard-to-reach communities.
The Market Health Hub, based at Holsworthy livestock market, was launched in 2023 through a partnership between the University of Exeter, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and social enterprise Imagine If.
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Running every Wednesday, the drop-in service allows farmers and their families to receive health checks, advice and support while attending the market, reducing the need to travel or take time away from the farm.
So far, the hub has identified 100 people needing referrals for high blood pressure and almost 30 requiring further assessment for diabetes.
Rachel Williams, consultant respiratory practitioner at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said the initiative was designed around the realities of farming life.
“It’s about meeting farmers where they are – in spaces they know and trust.
“Rural and coastal communities face unique challenges in accessing services.
“Our aim is to improve health and wellbeing through a sustainable farming health hub.”
The Holsworthy Market Health Hub team © NHS Cornwall
The service is staffed by a nurse, community navigator and healthcare assistant, offering blood pressure checks, lifestyle advice, smoking cessation support, diabetes guidance and pain management.
Future plans
Plans are also being developed for specialist drop-in clinics covering chronic conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, vaccination, long-term pain and wider wellbeing.
The hub addresses longstanding health challenges in farming, where the average farmer is about 60 years old and almost half work more than 80 hours a week, leaving little time to seek medical care.
Mental health also remains a concern, with a 2024 survey finding 91% of farmers viewed it as the industry’s biggest hidden problem.
The University of Exeter is assessing the hub’s impact to inform future investment and expansion.
Research lead Gemma Brailey said the project demonstrated the value of developing services alongside the communities they support, with the evaluation providing evidence to guide future decisions and ensure they reflect farmers’ real-world experiences.
“The hub is a testament to what can be achieved when research is co-produced with the people it is designed to serve,” she added.
