A project to develop Helston Community Hospital would not only cut patient travelling times and help reunite families but give everyone the chance to "be a friend."

Town councillor Ronnie Williams has been speaking out about the benefits that would come from a proposed £1million project exclusively revealed by the Packet last month.

This includes improving outpatient facilities, including the well-used minor injuries unit, and bringing community dentistry and mental health services that currently operate out of the health centre, next to Helston Library, under the hospital’s roof.

At the same time, a reorganisation of beds would make them easier to manage, provide increased security and free up other areas of the hospital for a new dining area.

Although there is no guarantee at this stage it will go ahead, talks have been underway for more than 18 months with Helston Downsland Charity regarding potential funding opportunities.

Mr Williams now said: "With the change in government policies, it now has become blatantly obvious we have to stand on our own feet. The work that we all expect our taxes to do, it's not going to now."

He pointed to the savings it would make for the NHS not having to transport patients to and from treatments at the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske, in Truro, if some of these could be carried out in Helston instead.

He added: "For people that I know in the town, even on the peninsula, to get to Treliske, the parking at Treliske, the traffic around Treliske - a huge percentage of us are not used to [dealing with] that.

"Treliske itself is bursting at the seams, no question. When people are in desperate need of medical care, could some of these responsibilities be placed on Helston?

"If it's streamlined to bring a lot more services back here, that would semi release Treliske to do what they're good at doing."

Mr Williams said it was now time for the community of Helston to "set an example" to the government, just as they did back in 1923 when the hospital was built.

"That hospital was built on voluntary labour and voluntary contributions," said Mr Williams, adding that workers at nearby Tresprison Farm were given permission to use its shire horses at the end of the day to transport gravel from Gunwalloe to build the hospital.

"What a pride that gave these people. When that was built it must have been like Great Ormond Street Hospital. People still hold the hospital in such high esteem.

"It's never been safer now, I think, to invest in something like that for the good of the people."

Mr Williams claimed there were people "in the background" ready to contribute to such a project if it had the back of the community in Helston and he repeated a call made previously by League of Friends president Ken Whittle for a public meeting to assess public opinion.

"Is this what the community wants?" he asked.

He was inspired to first suggest such a project almost three years ago, after hearing from grieving families about the lack of time they got to spend with a loved one before they died, due to the distance or expense of travelling to Truro's Royal Cornwall Hospital.

In partnership with Dr Whittle of the hospital Friends and another Helston businessman, they asked the hospital for a "wish list of benefits for the community," which were then used to draw up a full-scale document with layout plans.

"This gives everyone a a chance to be a 'friend'," said Mr Williams.