The role of GP practices in building healthier communities
Dr Tim Dalton, Local GP and Joint Chair of the Healthier Wigan Partnership
If you have been following my column over the last few months, you will know that I am sharing some of the incredible activities our GP practices across the Borough are delivering to support patients and help them to stay well. After looking at health checks in Hindley, this month I want to share the amazing work happening in practices in the south of Wigan and the north of Ashton (SWAN).
Traditionally, GP practices have focused on treating sickness and supporting patients who have physical or mental illnesses. However, SWAN practices want to go much further than this; they want to work in their communities to do more support people to avoid getting ill in the first place.
They want to do this because they believe that by working together with patients, residents, local community groups and partners, they can build a healthier and more vibrant community for everyone. A community where people live longer, and are happier and stronger as they get older, needing fewer medications, and less trips to the GP and hospital. A community where people are less likely they are to experience all sorts of illnesses, including diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, cancers, and mental health conditions.
Obviously, it takes a long time to change the health of communities, but SWAN GP practices are creating lots of opportunities. One of their exciting initiatives is the creation of a new gardening group, where patients come together regularly to work on greenspace projects outside Chandler House building and at the Clifton Street Community Centre. This has had the double benefit of making the area much pleasanter and prettier for everyone, whilst also leading to knew and supportive friendships and a sense of community for those taking part.
In another exciting new project, they’re collaborating with the Aging in Place project and Wigan Council’s Be Well team to open a Bike Library at Chandler House. The Bike Library will provide local residents with access to bikes, helping to improve fitness and mobility and get out and about cycling in the area.
These initiatives complement the veterans’ group, health walks, knitting group, and book club sessions already on offer from the practices, all of which offer more opportunities for patients and local people to stay active, meet new people, and make friends.
Whilst they are doing this, they are still doing all the more normal GP practice work, and trying out new ways to help people with long term conditions like respiratory illnesses and dementia, making sure they get support earlier and delivering more in people’s neighbourhoods, closer to their homes.
The work happening in south Wigan and north Ashton GP practices is showing how GP practices can be at the heart of healthy communities and neighbourhoods, really making a difference to local people. Work like this is happening in practices all over the Borough; join me next month to find out more.