New health hub lorry for North Wales farmers

Wales mental health charity the DPJ Foundation has added a second health hub lorry, the Lori y Gogledd, to help farmers in the north bridge the mental and physical health gap.

Following the success of the Hywel Davies Lorry, which serves the Carmarthen and Pembrokeshire areas, the charity decided to invest in a second lorry.

The Lori y Gogledd will be staffed by a qualified nurse to provide basic health checks for farmers, including blood pressure, blood sugar, first aid, cholesterol, iron and vitamin D levels, and general health checks.

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Kate Miles, charity manager, said: “In the comfort of the lorry’s farmhouse kitchen, visitors can chat over a cup of tea and a Welsh cake, share news and stories, and receive information on a wide range of support services from a dedicated team of volunteers.”

From a second private and soundproofed consultation room, a registered nurse performs health checks and can have a more in-depth chat if needed, she added.

Once its tour of the north is complete, it will initially visit the markets in Dolgellau, Ruthin, and Welshpool.

A familiar presence

The second lorry builds on the work done with the inaugural lorry, which started making regular visits to livestock markets in December 2023.

It has since become a familiar presence at Carmarthen and Whitland marts, as well as visiting shows across south-west Wales and occasionally further afield.

To date, about 2,700 people have visited the lorry’s consultation room.

Escorting the lorry on its journey north, Richard Jenkins, father of charity founder Emma Picton-Jones, told Farmers Weekly that a health hub lorry was always part of the plan when the charity first launched 10 years ago.

“The lorry was always part of what Emma wanted to do, and it’s unbelievable to see people come in who can’t get an appointment with a doctor, and they don’t want to go to the doctor, but they’ll walk into here because it’s like a family-run thing,” he said.

In high demand

Retired farmer Richard Jones © MAG/Anne Dunn

Retired Tregaron farmer Richard Jones, who comes to the mart to catch up with friends and other farmers every Tuesday and Friday, stopped for a check-up on the new lorry.

“It’s tidy, and this is easier than seeing someone in the surgery, and you don’t have to wait for hours.

“Ceredigion and every area of Wales should have one,” he said.