We have been co-located with general practice at Darnall Primary Care Centre since May 2013, sponsored by the Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Our location enables social wellbeing activity to take place under one roof, whereby healthier behaviours can become the norm due to e.g. health walks and other groups meeting in the centre. Our Chair ascribes this burgeoning community or ‘social movement’ to the fact that “health is contagious”.
Barriers are broken down between community and services. Our volunteers rub shoulders with GPs in the staff kitchen and our workers have informal conversations with primary care staff prior to referrals being made. These sort of interactions help promote health because DWB and the community is part of the process and involved at an early stage, rather than simply being an end referral point.
The Clover Group – Darnall Practice Manager has likened our distinctive role to:
A maitre d’ of services; people come through the door and DWB takes them by the hand and guides them to the right support.
And Emma Johnson, Support Manager at Clover Darnall Practice says:
Waqas attends our Quarterly PPG ( Patient participation group) as an advocate for the work and groups DWB provide – each time we are amazed at just how much can be accessed for the local community and it is evident that those who attend the support groups provided heavily rely on this engagement.
More recently Waqas has supported me directly with trying to increase the uptake of annual health checks at DPCC , particularly for those patients registered with a serious mental illness or learning disability , putting me in touch with volunteers at charities such as Mencap and Mind, with a view to provide a ‘one stop shop’ for those who may find it difficult to attend multiple appointments. His knowledge of the local community and services available to support patients is invaluable.
A Big Thank you from me for all the support. 🙂
As part of our collaborative work, we work with the Seven Hills Primary Care Network in providing a social prescribing Link Worker service across five surgeries – Darnall Primary Care Centre, Highgate Tinsley Surgery, Tinsley Medical Centre, Darnall Health Centre and Handsworth Medical Practice. Our Link Workers are not medically trained – they support local people in providing purely non-medical interventions, as well as signposting them to other community and statutory organisations that are suitable for their needs. We do not make appointment bookings or answer queries on behalf of any of the surgeries – please contact them direct on the following numbers (lines are likely to be quieter after 11am):
Darnall Primary Care Centre – 0114 226 0000
Highgate Tinsley Surgery – 0114 226 3535
Tinsley Medical Centre – 0114 2610 623
Darnall Health Centre – 0114 244 9525
Handsworth Medical Practice – 0114 269 7505