Erewash prevention scheme presented at NHS Confederation best practice webinar

The roll out of the NHS Health Check in deprived communities in Erewash has been presented on a national best practice webinar for the NHS Confederation, alongside NHS England Director Dr Bola Olowabi.

The team, from Erewash Primary Care Network, took preventative health checks into workplaces, including a mental health self-help group, a local community breakfast club, and the builder’s merchant Travis Perkins.

They found that in some places, 70 per cent of people needed a follow-up with their GP for issues such as high blood pressure, hypertension and high cholesterol, and the team was able to refer individuals directly to an appointment.

GP Allie Hill and her colleague Sara Bains, who led the project together, presented on the webinar ‘From Models to Practice: How the Core20PLUS5 framework can tackle inequalities in cardiovascular disease’. Watch Allie and Sara’s presentation on the webinar at 23 minutes (opens in new window) >.

Allie said: “I’m passionate in my practice about prevention and supporting people before they become ill. One of the most successful ways to do that is to diagnose high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation which can lead to early heart attacks and strokes if left untreated.

“The good news is that caught early we can treat these issues and prevent unnecessary loss of life.

“The bad news is that we know there are still lots of people out there who don’t engage with services, and we need new ways to reach out to them.”

Cardiovascular disease is responsible for 25 per cent of deaths and and around six million people live with it. Those living in deprived neighbourhoods also tend to develop the condition 10 – 15 years earlier.

It can be reduced by making lifestyle improvements, such as stopping smoking and making positive changes to diet and exercise, but access to support is variable depending on where people live. The NHS has a responsibility to bridge this gap and ensure equity.

The team identified communities with the highest prevalence of deprivation and groups that run within them, then used the Derby and Derbyshire home-grown Insights Framework to understand how to best engage with the communities.

With their partners, including public health, the Borough Council and Erewash Voluntary Action, they developed and worked with five hyper-local community wellbeing networks based in Cotmanhay, Kirk Hallam, Petersham, Sawley and Sandiacre. These networks are made up of churches, children’s groups, food banks, charities and local residents who all play a part.

Sara Bains, Wellness, Resilience and Inequalities lead for Erewash Primary Care Network, spent six months with the breakfast club before bringing in the NHS Health Check.

She said: “Working with communities who need the most support is a real privilege and we seek to do that with respect and by listening carefully. For some people it’s very hard to trust services or to engage with a large and complex organisation like the NHS and therefore we need to listen and really hear their concerns before we can start to address any barriers.”