“Care navigation has given my team a better understanding on how to help each patient, when they call for an appointment, to a level that they are comfortable with. They know their boundaries and never give clinical advice and it’s good that the training discusses this. It comes down to choice and staff are able to suggest different options to the patient other than just seeing the GP. In our practice, they can refer patients on to the nursing team, physiotherapists, opticians, pharmacists and a number of other specialists that have the expertise to deal with the patient’s problem. This cuts out unnecessary doctors appointments or hospital visits and frees that time up for the doctors to care for our patients that have complex or multiple long-term conditions' You can read a practice manager and care navigators insights here - well worth a read westwakefieldhealthandwellbeing.nhs.uk/…/care-navigation-a-practice-manager-s-perspective
Social Prescribing
Did you know that 10 per cent of all older people over the age of 65 experience loneliness all or most of the time.
Mostly when we talk about prevention in the NHS, we mean reducing smoking, increasing physical activity, obesity problems and alcohol consumption. In Wakefield there is a focus on the impact that social capital has on improving health.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9yJn5drdPM
We often think of better health and wellbeing as seeing the right health professional when we need to or a team of professionals wrapping care around us as individuals.
These things are all happening locally right now as health, care and voluntary providers across Wakefield work closer together to address the full range of health and care needs of our local population.
‘Prevention is better than the cure’ and that’s a key part of the work that we as GPs here in the western half of Wakefield are embracing. The pop-up HealthPod that goes out into communities doing health checks and providing local wellbeing advice, the health apps we’ve developed to deliver health and wellbeing advice on the move and get kids excited about health and exercise; we’re already seeing the benefits of these ‘grassroot level’ initiatives locally.
Like ourselves, GPs across the country realise the need for investment in prevention and ways to intervene earlier with sustainable, easy-to-implement care. Care that we know cannot be provided by the health and social care system alone. A ‘more than medicine’ approach that can help more people to exercise regularly, eat more healthily, build strong social networks and feel supported and in control of their lives.
An approach that enables people to access a range of social interventions to complement their clinical care.
Introducing micro-commissioning
So that’s why as part of the vanguard, we’ve been working with colleagues from Nova, a local strategic infrastructure third sector organisation, on a very exciting project. West Wakefield have funded Nova to design and test the delivery of a small grants, micro-commissioning programme.
This is for grassroot voluntary and community sector groups, to develop services that provide a non-clinical activity in direct support of GP practices and their patients.
‘Sing it Out’ choir
The ‘Sing it Out’ choir at the Cluntergate Centre in Horbury was established using the funding available through the micro-commissioning grants scheme, facilitated by Nova.
The aim of the ‘Sing it Out’ choir is to improve women’s health and wellbeing through getting together and singing. Since the choir was established, it has received excellent feedback, and some examples of this are as follows:
“Taking part in the Sing it Out choir has lifted my spirits! After losing my husband to cancer just over 18 months ago, life became even more challenging and my health deteriorated - but after a few sessions with Mel I'm less breathless with my asthma and there is a "song in my heart" to counteract the occasional dark clouds of bereavement. It’s a fantastic way to kick start a new life phase.”
“I saw your poster on the wall where I go for art therapy. I go for weekly sessions to help deal with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and as part of a creative approach to getting better, I felt brave enough to come singing. I love it! It makes me smile so much, I leave with wrinkles on my mouth! It's one of the only ways I have found to press pause on anxious thoughts and feelings and it has very quickly become an important time of every week.”
You can see the ladies in action below:
Incredible edible Wakefield
Also as part of the micro-commissioning programme, Incredible Edible Wakefield were funded to further their edible gardening clubs project.
The edible gardening clubs encompass the five ways to wellbeing, promote a healthy lifestyle and aim to tackle social isolation. Since the funding was awarded, Incredible Edible has had a number of regular new participants attending the sessions.
To see the great work that Incredible Edible is doing for the wellbeing of the Wakefield District, check out the video below:
Want to know more about the impact of micro-commissioning in Wakefield? Perhaps want to find local activities near you? Visit our HealthPod when it's next near you for more details.