A ONE-STOP-SHOP aimed at tackling a wealth of health, social care and lifestyle issues could be created in Nailsea with residents being asked what they want to see it offer.

Medical professionals are hoping to set up a health hub to provide people with a wide range of support and information under one roof.

National organisation, The Patients Association, wants it to be somewhere people can go for advice on health conditions or social care issues, to attend support groups and find out how to stay fit and healthy.

Nailsea Town Council has given the association a £500 grant to draw up a funding proposal for the project and detail what services could be provided.

Heather Eardley, development director for the association, said: “We are trying to bring together all the agencies across health, social care, the voluntary sector and private providers and looking at having a presence in Nailsea shopping centre.

“We want it to be easily accessible, where people could go for information or to chat together. We want it to become a vibrant community place.

“We could run workshops and events and bring in the arts as well. It will be something quite different.

“A lot of agencies work in silo and there’s a lot of support available out there but people often don’t know where to get it.

“We envisage the service will grow as people start to tell us what they want.”

Other suggestions for services include art therapy for people coping with bereavement, support for carers, help for grandparents who have become main carers for their grandchildren and an information point which GPs could refer people to.

Visitors would also be able to find out how to get help for sick relatives and information about benefits they may be entitled to.

Heather is currently looking at a number of different projects across the country to see which services would suit the people of Nailsea.

Heather added: “We would also like the centre to focus on health education and provide good information so people can learn how to stay healthy.

“GPs could refer people there to get information about conditions such as diabetes.

“It could also be a place for people to find out about making a complaint and how to negotiate the system.

“It will be quite an exciting project, bringing lots of different groups together. We want to know what people think is missing in the town.”

The Patients Association is now asking people to email or call to say what services they would like in the centre before the proposal deadline on Monday.

Heather can be contacted via email at heather@patients-association.com or by phone on 07872 633189.