Wellbeing Exeter wins national award

An initiative to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Exeter has been recognised with a top national award.

Wellbeing Exeter has won a prestigious National Health Service Journal award at a ceremony in London – the largest of its type in the world. The Integrated Care Exeter (ICE) initiative was successful in the ‘Most effective adoption and diffusion of existing best practice’ category.

For 36 years the HSJ Awards have promoted the finest achievements in the NHS, and showcased them to the service’s most influential leaders and the wider public.

Wellbeing Exeter explores better ways of supporting the 40% of patients who visit their GP with socially based, rather than medical problems.

“This is fantastic recognition for Exeter and all the hard work that has gone into this ground-breaking initiative,” said Jo Yelland, Exeter City Council Director and former Director of ICE.

Dr Phil Norrey, Devon County Council’s Chief Executive and Chair of the ICE Board, said: “This has always been a forward-looking project, which puts people’s independence, health and wellbeing at its core. It shows what can be achieved when health and social care, voluntary sector organisations, community groups and individuals, who all have a part to play in helping people live well, work together.

“If anything demonstrates that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’, it’s the ICE project, and I’m delighted that it has been awarded this national accolade.”

The HSJ judges said of Wellbeing Exeter: “This was a well-established social prescribing model that had been designed, considered and delivered through a genuine partnership despite complexity.”

Wellbeing Exeter recognises that people primarily want a life not a service.

“The purpose of the partnership is to help people on a journey from dependence on medical services, through a safe and supported period of transition, into increased involvement with their local community and having a richer and more fulfilled interdependent life with neighbours and friends,” added Jo.

ICE was set up in 2014 and sees Exeter City Council, Devon County Council, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group working closely together on the wellbeing agenda.

In England, only 4% of the total health budget is spent on prevention, yet it is estimated that if the public were fully involved in managing their health and engaged in prevention activities, £30 billion could be saved.

Wellbeing Exeter – a strategic alliance of public, voluntary and community sector organisations, has extended its project across all GP practices in the city for the next two years. If successful, it is hoped that this model will be considered for the whole of Devon.

As part of the Exeter project, practices are referring patients they believe would benefit from increased social activity to their trusted Community Connector.
Connectors work with the individual to identify what matters to them and then plan a way forward. The Connector might introduce people to activities and organisations within their neighbourhoods. The process is known as social prescribing.

At the same time, Community Builders, funded by Exeter City Council, identify social resources, stimulating activity and helping communities to thrive and develop.

Anette, who is one of the Community Connectors in Exeter, said: "I meet clients daily and it is wonderful to be able to help people on their various journeys. This can be anything from breaking social isolation to help with job opportunities or supporting the clients to get registered for council housing. Other common areas clients want support with is alcohol abuse and healthy lifestyle advice."

One person who benefited from the programme said: “I came in for pain killers and I am leaving with hope!” Another said: “The help and support I have received over the last few months has exceeded my expectations. As a result of this I now feel much less isolated than I was feeling when I was referred.”

Gillian Champion, nurse partner and clinical chair of the Exeter locality at NHS NEW Devon CCG, said: “Exeter General Practices have welcomed and supported this initiative and I am delighted that the service can be rolled out to an even larger group of practices in the city.”