Our Work
Children’s health and wellbeing
In Chatham, we’ve found that kids and young people in our community need more help with their mental health.
Our data shows they aren’t doing as well as kids in other parts of England. Local deprivation is resulting in poorer health outcomes and poor mental health compared to the national average. So when we saw that more kids aged 5 to 16 were also having mental health problems, we knew we needed to do something.
With help from our PCN’s Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), we hired three specialist workers. These Children and Young People Social Prescribing Link Workers (CYPSPLW) work in our GP practices to help kids with their worries about bullying, low self-worth, self-harm, and even thoughts about ending their lives. They step in when school-based help is paused, like during the holidays.
We started the “Six-weeks of wellbeing” programme in the 2023 summer holidays. This programme held workshops to help kids deal with their feelings about self-worth, anxiety, and tension. And most importantly, they showed our kids how to help themselves.
The programme was a hit, and we plan to run more workshops during future school holidays.
Community gardening
Our neighbours and friends at Christ Church Luton are doing great things for local people struggling with social isolation and loneliness.
From our very first meeting with the inspirational Rev. Andrea, we knew they’d make a fantastic health and wellbeing partner to collaborate with!
Our PCN health and wellbeing coaches and social prescribing link workers are now actively promoting their community garden to patients who would benefit from a spot of green-fingered gardening activity or making new friends in a safe, supportive environment.
And if the gardening isn’t enough, the cafe and coffee mornings are definitely worth a visit. New mums and people not getting out of their homes very much are warmly welcomed. The cakes and sausage rolls in particular are a real treat too(for a small donation).
A great local partnership we look forward to growing further!
Evening and weekend appointments
Thanks to our joined-up work, Medway South practices have additional appointment capacity to offer to patients on evenings and weekends.
Patients can book via their GP practice to see a GP, nurse or other health professional at a time that’s convenient for them.
Healthcare roles
Our surgery teams are now made up of a wider range of health professionals to help better meet the needs of our diverse communities, thanks to the PCN’s Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS).
Hypertension
The PCN is currently trialling a digital hypertension monitoring service from Stonecross and West Drive Surgery, King George Road Surgery and Reach Healthcare. Churchill Medical Group and Matrix Medical Centre will also join the trial shortly.
Patients monitor their daily blood pressure and update the practice using an easy-to-use app. This allows the practice team to track changes between appointments, and follow-up where necessary and before health worsens.
Women’s health
Menopause is finally being discussed and taken seriously in the news, society and in primary care. With 3.5 million women over 50 in the workplace, we know menopausal symptoms affect a large percentage of our patients here in Medway South too.
We also understand how important it is for women to get the right support they need during menopause. And we know that women from different ethnicities might need extra help. Better menopause care is, therefore, something we feel strongly about in Chatham, and our PCN has been taking steps to address it locally.
We’ve started helpful group talks for women going through menopause. They can learn about menopause, how to feel better, and talk to a doctor about their health. Our health and wellbeing coaches attend and we also let the women share contact details so they can help each other after the talks.
Plus, we’re working with the Kent Surrey and Sussex Health Innovation Network to test the Adora Menopause App. It’s another way for women to learn about menopause and how to handle it with the help of an AI chatbot and symptom tracking.
From surveys, we found that our group talks and app have already helped women learn more about menopause and feel more in control of their lives. We’ll keep working together with other experts to make our programme even better.