A West Yorkshire scheme to help expand a volunteer care navigation and self-help service at the Friarwood Surgery has won a share of our grant funding.
GPs from Friarwood Surgery in Pontefract submitted the project after our call-out to practices in our 550 buildings around the country.
The scheme works with members of the Patient Participation Group (“PPG”) to deliver care navigation and self-help to patients of the Friarwood Surgery, linking people with ideas on local activities and groups for keeping active, eating well, sleeping better and coping with low mood. The scheme will use our funding to build on the work of the volunteers.
Dr L Dale, GP Partner at Friarwood Surgery, said: “All our staff, including GPs, make referrals directly to our self-help ‘guru’ John – the chairperson for Friarwood Surgery’s PPG – but we would like to extend the range of what he and other members of the PPG can get involved in. We are also considering doing local school promotions visits with John, to talk to children about care navigation and self-help.”
John Nye, chair of the Friarwood PPG, said: “On behalf of Friarwood Surgery’s Patient Participation Group we would like to thank Assura for awarding us the grant. We have already purchased books for patients to borrow on self-management and wellbeing and our patients are already taking advantage of our new library.
“We have plans in the future to work with our local Community Anchor to provide services to our patients and will be working with Wakefield Council’s Public Health department to promote awareness of self-management in schools.”