Cornwall accommodation and hospital unite to increase health
tourism
A scheme to market Cornwall as a destination for health tourism
has taken another step forward with a collaboration between
accommodation providers and the county’s private hospital.
Under the partnership, a list of Cornish hotels, guesthouses and
self-catering accommodation particularly suited to convalescing
patients is being drawn up by the Duchy Hospital in Truro for
patients who wish to recuperate in the county.
The accommodation will be promoted to the growing number of
patients from outside Cornwall who choose the hospital for
procedures such as cosmetic surgery, orthopaedics, eye operations
and vascular surgery.
The list will also be available to people looking to recover in
Cornwall after a procedure elsewhere in the country.
Chris Sealey, Duchy Hospital’s General Manager said: “This
partnership will make it far easier for people to recover in
Cornwall’s fantastic environment. Our out-of-county patients will
be able to plan their recuperation in advance, while patients
elsewhere in the UK will be able to choose accommodation providers
who welcome convalescing patients and are prepared for their
needs.”
The accommodation details will be provided by the hospital’s
Freephone enquiry line, on its website and in packs sent to
patients prior to their operations.
Pat Smith from the award-winning four-star Bosinver Farm holiday
cottages, one of the self-catering locations included in the
scheme, said: “People have always come on holiday to Cornwall for
their general wellbeing. Our collaboration with the Duchy Hospital
takes that a stage further. If you have particular medical needs,
why not have those tended to in Cornwall, and recover in one of the
most beautiful locations in the country.”
Currently, the majority of non-Cornish patients at the Duchy
Hospital are there because the hi-tech nature of their procedure
means it is not offered at their local hospital.
For example, the Duchy Hospital is the busiest treatment centre
outside London for certain types of varicose vein procedure and,
last year, the hospital was one of the first in the country to
offer a treatment for the previously incurable eye condition, dry
AMD.
Another participant in the partnership scheme is the Stonesthrow
apartment in Porthtowan, which has been developed to accommodate
people recovering from eye and ear operations.
Stonesthrow’s owner, Priscilla Davis commented: “We offer
features such as a talking clock, large print notices and audio
books. I worked in the NHS for a number of years and understand the
importance of relaxation for a speedy recovery. That’s exactly what
the county offers, and why we’ve been so keen to take part in this
scheme.”
As well as medical reasons, other factors can determine where
patients choose to have their operations carried out. Some
out-of-county cosmetic surgery patients choose to have a procedure
carried out discreetly in Cornwall, and use an extended break in
the county to explain their changed appearance.
Chris Sealey continued: “The NHS’ Choose and Book system is
already giving many patients across the country an opportunity to
choose not just the best hospital but the best location for their
treatment. The system is growing in popularity and we suspect that
increasingly, the option to combine treatment and a break in
Cornwall will be attractive to patients.”
The list was compiled with the help of VisitCornwall, the body
responsible for tourism promotion in the county.