A new health hub has opened for farmers on Exmoor - and no appointments are needed.

Farmers, agricultural workers and their families are now able to access free, confidential health checks at the Exmoor Rural Health Hub (ERHH)

The ERHH aims to address the physical and mental health needs of the farming and wider rural community of Greater Exmoor.

The first clinic was held on October 13, with volunteers from the Farm Community Network (FCN) and Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) attending the livestock market at Wheddon Cross to explain what the ERHH can offer.

The free ‘drop-in’ clinic, which takes place at the Moorland village hall, near the Exmoor Farmers Livestock Auction site at Wheddon Cross, offers basic health screening with referrals back to GPs or to other health professionals as necessary.

Importantly, the nurses selected to deliver this service are highly-tuned to the needs of the farming communities they serve, adept at recognising signs of either physical or mental wellbeing issues and intervening before conditions worsen

The initiative is supported and run by the NHS Somerset Clinical Commissioning group and NHS Somerset Foundation Trust, with sponsorship from the NFU Mutual, Shearwell Data Ltd and Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

The Exmoor Rural Health Hub is a great example of collaboration between the statutory and voluntary sectors. The work outlined above demonstrates the strength of support at a local level for rural farming communities in all parts of Somerset.

Similar ‘drop-in’ health clinics staffed by NHS nurses are also operating at Frome Standerwick market, and at Junction 24, Sedgemoor (The Derek Mead Health Rooms).

More information about dates of forthcoming ERHH clinics can be found by visiting erhh.co.uk.