Heaton Road Surgery, serving Newcastle’s East End, is the base for Karen Stokoe, the practice pharmacist and Tracy Bell, the social prescribing link worker. Using a community based approach, they have collaborated on a project to share much needed health information with not only their own patients, but patients from seven surgeries in the area. Their popular GP led health events have been highly effective in spreading information more widely to those who have recently developed or are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well as more general health conditions.
It began with discussions between Karen and Tracy, they both recognised that patients recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and non diabetic hyperglycaemia (NDH) often had the same questions. They decided to set up a group session to answer all their questions and to disseminate additional information. Karen and Tracy were keen to use professionals from other specialisms, for example podiatry and retinopathy, to increase what was on offer for those attending. They decided if they were going to invite other professionals to the session it would be better to have a larger group of patients than their practice alone could provide and so the idea of holding a large GP-led health awareness event was born.
They held their first event in a local church in March 2023 and it was promoted across seven of the East End surgeries. The event focused on diabetes and was a resounding success, with one hundred and sixty people attending. Patients were booked in at their choice of one of two start times, 3.45pm or 4.45pm. They attended a thirty minute presentation by the Newcastle hospital’s diabetic nurse, then they were free to wander round the other professional's stalls to gather further information, ask questions and get advice.
Following the success of their first event, they decided to run another event in September 2023. This time the target group was expanded to include to not only patients with diabetes and NDH, but also patients who were at risk of developing diabetes and NDH, with the event being open to everyone over eighteen with a BMI over twenty five. Over 200 patients booked a place at this event and the topics were broadened out to include exercise, alcohol reduction and mental well-being as well as diabetes.
The team also decided to change the venue and the format, using Heaton Baptist Church, which has a PA system and lots of smaller rooms as well as a larger space which can hold up to 300 people. This time the event included speakers and workshops rather than just stalls so that people could get better more targeted information. Two hundred tickets were allocated and demand was so high that people had to be turned away due to capacity.
The three hour event included a presentation by the dietician (the most popular stall in March), followed by workshops including retinopathy, pain management, alcohol reduction, vita and kidney health and information around a subsidised gym programme. During any 'free' time, patients could access stalls by Boots Community Pharmacy, dieticians, St John's Ambulance, weight, height, BMI, blood pressure, blood glucose levels and diabetes information.
As participants were leaving, they completed a feedback form and then received a goodie bag containing a recipe and ingredients for soup, encouraging healthy habits at home. Feedback and evaluation have been a vital part of both events, ensuring the project is serving people’s needs and helping identify ways to make improvements.
Through their partnership and dedication Karen and Tracy have managed to run both of the GP led health awareness events with no budget, relying on in-kind donations and spaces provided by the churches for free. As they’ve been so successful and the need is clearly there, they wish to continue organising events and are seeking funding to support the development of this exciting project. It seems their project will go from strength to strength, an inspiring demonstration of innovative thinking and a proactive approach being used to target health inequalities in the community.
If you are interested in social prescribing in the region you can learn more about VONNE’s work and sign up to our Healthy Communities and Social Prescribing network to receive regular bulletins.