£15,000 funding awarded to improve local residents’ health
Over £15,000 in funding has been made available to staff at Newham Hospital in the first round of funding of the Well Newham Challenge.
Funded by London Borough of Newham, seven projects are being supported, which aim to improve the health of borough residents by addressing the non-medical, social factors that can negatively impact their health. All projects will use quality improvement (QI) methodology and be supported by QI experts.
By working collaboratively, Newham Council and our hospital are empowering and supporting our staff to harness their expertise and experiences with local residents to improve the wider, holistic care provided to them. The ultimate aim of these projects is to further support the people of Newham in looking after and improving their health, and where possible, to reduce their need to visit a healthcare professional.
Speaking on the collaboration, Councillor Neil Wilson, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, London Borough of Newham said: “We’re very excited to be working with colleagues from Newham Hospital on the Well Newham Challenge. One of our ambitions as a council is to improve the health of our residents, and working with our local hospital, harnessing their knowledge and understanding of patients’ needs, is a great way to do this.
“Social Prescribing is a key pledge of Building a Fairer Newham , the Manifesto of May, 2022, and this is a part of our work to expand the reach of social prescribing across the borough.”
In order to be eligible for this funding, each team has to clearly demonstrate how their project will help improve and over social determinants of health, such as language and culture, social interaction and inclusion and housing and living.
The seven projects funded in this round come from various different teams across Newham Hospital and will be supported by our hospital’s QI team in their development, delivery and evaluation.
Commenting on the partnership, Dr Janice Roper, QI lead for Newham Hospital said: “Using QI methodology is a great way to address and overcome challenges that we face in healthcare, and I’m excited to work with and support colleagues to develop their QI skills through these projects. I’m extremely grateful to Newham council for funding and supporting this work, which I believe will make a difference to our local residents, and look forward the opportunity to work more closely with our council colleagues, which I know will be of great benefit to us all.”
If you are interested in learning more about these projects, including how to apply for funding or how to get involved as a patient or public representative, please email the Barts Health QI team .
Well Newham Challenge: Round 1 projects
Caring for cardiac patients: This project will screen patients attending routine cardiovascular disease appointments for social determinants of health for which they would benefit from support and provide an appropriate onward referral. The social determinants of health it will address are: income and financial support; job security and unemployment; housing and living standards; social interaction and inclusion.
Couch-to-5K support: Provide a supported Couch to 5k community with facilitated group running sessions and provide related health information from health professionals. This project will work to increase the awareness of and participation in the Couch-to-5k programme. The social determinants of health it will address are: education; social interaction and inclusion.
Improving literature: Review existing patient literature and, if necessary, create a series of leaflets who are at risk for colorectal cancer. Leaflets will be co-produced with residents and voluntary sector partners, translated into community languages and be shared with primary care providers. The social determinants of health it will address are: language and culture; healthcare access; education.
Managing diabetes: To improve diabetes management for patients from the Asian community, the team will develop a carbohydrate exchange list, specific to the Asian / Bangladeshi community containing the community’s most popular foods. It will be co-produced with residents, translated and include information in how to count carbohydrates. The social determinants of health it will address are: language and culture; food insecurity and access; education.
Medicines translations: Translate medicine instruction labels and supporting information into community languages so people with no / low English literacy will understand their instructions and use their medication safely and effectively. The social determinants of health it will address is: language and culture.
A matter of balance: Develop a multifactorial group falls program based on the “matter of balance” programme, which is designed to reduce fear of falling and improve activity levels among participants, so they gain confidence and learn how to see falls as controllable, reduce falls risks at home and improve their strength/balance. The social determinants of health it will address is: social interaction and inclusion.
Improving gestational diabetes care: Improve the peer support and education provided to women with gestational diabetes, especially those with other barriers to accessing services (language, social complexity etc.), working in partnership with Social Action for Health. The social determinants of health it will address are: social interaction and inclusion; education; language and culture; healthcare access.