Health and wellbeing checks benefit under-served populations in Hurst Green
Some of Hurst Green’s most under-served populations have benefited from community health and wellbeing checks, thanks to great partnership working.
The health checks were arranged by Dr Anna Mustill, South Tandridge GP; Abi Chapman director of The Accessibility Project; Cerys Williams, Local Area Co-ordinator for Hurst Green; and Reverend Anna Eltringham, and delivered in the local hall by GP Federation Alliance for Better Care. They targeted people in Hurst Green who have not been engaging with health services, aiming to reduce health inequalities for this group.
Eva Bangova, Alliance for Better Care’s Equity Development Manager said:
Most of the people we saw were vulnerable or were hesitant to contact and disclose current issues with their GP.
By giving them the time and confidence to open up and having the expertise of multi-skilled nurses on site, I hope they felt supported in taking the next step forward to follow up on any issues raised during the clinic. We aimed to build trust by spending time listening to people who came forward and acknowledge their issues and I hope this will have a long-term impact on the way they engage beyond the immediate health and prevention benefits.
Abi Chapman, Director of The Accessibility Project added
Health Checks are vital, and many do not attend these appointments, so to be able to work with ABC to provide them in the community for individuals was fantastic to see. There was a consensus from everybody that the staff were kind, supportive, patient, didn’t rush them, and they were made to feel comfortable.
Feedback from the participants was positive:
- One participant had not had a health check in years, as they felt it wasn’t worth ‘bothering’ their GP. They felt the health check offered a good compromise between healthcare provision and accessibility
- Another felt the health check was a great opportunity to be aware of any early issues. It was a nice and relaxing conversation, there was no need to travel, and it was really helpful
- A third participant had a fear of accessing Primary Care and said the health check was a fantastic opportunity, as she wouldn’t have been brave enough to see a GP otherwise.
Further community heath and wellbeing checks are planned for other areas in East Surrey later this year.
Find out more about the Alliance for Better Care Equity Team Health Checks.