Be Active Urmston Community Hub in partnership with Manchester Foundation NHS Trust
Overview
BeActive Urmston enable Manchester Foundation NHS Trust to integrate their services into the local community by subletting offices and other facilities at their Community Hub in Urmston.
Actions Taken
The services using these areas include the Pulmonary Rehab Team and Community Rehab Team for the local area. They primarily use the space for offices, but use the hub’s rehab gym and hire their spaces for group sessions with patients.
Outcomes
As a result the George Carnall Community Hub receives a number of their patients upon exiting Manchester Foundation NHS Trust’s services. The hub offer a number of chair based and low-impact classes that are suitable for their clients to go on, to assist in their rehabilitation following their treatment. All of their staff have a GP Referral qualification and a collection of other level 4 qualifications among them (Diabetes and Obesity, chair based exercise, pulmonary rehab, etc).
Results and benefits
At the moment the hub offers four of these types of classes per week, and they are available to anyone. They will be working with the local CCG to start to deliver more targeted programmes and hope to introduce a GP Referral scheme.
“Currently Trafford Pulmonary Rehabilitation use the small hall on a twice weekly basis for an exercise and education programme with Trafford patients suffering chronic lung conditions. Being located within the hub has enabled us to utilise the gym facilities with suitable patients who may have never used a gym before, with a therapist’s support. At completion of the programme, patients are encouraged to continue into long term exercise options, including those in the Hub. Development of these services into a referral system for health to access, utilising the level 4 qualifications is a massive benefit to our population.”
Helen Blake, Occupational Therapists Community Rehab Team based at the centre
“I wanted to get a referral from my GP some time ago from my doctor, but gave up after trying for so long. My health deteriorated and I ended up getting referred to the Community Pulmonary Rehab team. I started to attend their sessions at Be Active Urmston on an 8 week course. During this time I explained that I felt vulnerable when out and about and walking outside. They then gave me access to the gym and I had a go on the treadmill, which gave me some confidence. At the end of the course the team then introduced me to the staff at the gym. I had an induction and was given a programme to follow, which gave me the confidence to do some exercise by myself. I started walking for 10 minutes at 0.8mph and am now up to walking for 30 minutes at 2.5 mph and doing some other resistance exercises. I am really pleased with the progress and how I am feeling generally overall. I am now a regular and try to attend the gym at least 3 times per week.”
