Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Muscoskeletal (MSK) Service recently returned to Waterlooville Community Centre to hold their popular ‘Community Better Health Day’ for the second time.
The event, which has so far been held at three different locations across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on multiple occasions, allows patients on the routine waiting lists to be seen by various healthcare professionals on the same day, addressing not just their MSK needs but also encouraging engagement with community partners to promote better health amongst the community.
Upon arrival, patients were greeted by the admin team and seated in a waiting area, where they were asked to provide details of their reason for attending, their concerns, what help they had already received, whether they have tried to manage the condition themselves, and what their expectations of what help they needed. This information formed the conversation for their first station which was a shared decision-making station with a therapist to obtain a history and highlight which other stations on the day may be of use.
In total, there were five stations, including exercise areas where trained professionals showed patients how to combat their problems via targeted exercises.
Community partners who attended on the day included: Horizon Leisure Centre, Get up and Go Havant, Steady and Strong, Slimming World, Pulmonary Rehab, East Hants Mind, Live Life Longer and Versus Arthritis.
Terence Dolling, one of the earliest patients to complete the stations on the d
ay, highly praised the initiative, saying: “The service provided checking all aspects at one time, it was a complete service – everything that I wanted and more. The people that I saw were extremely professional and kind, superb.”
The event saw a total of 261 patients, which in return has reduced waiting lists across Havant, Fareham and Gosport by approximately two weeks.
Emily Phillips, Clinical Services Manager, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the success that Better Health Days have demonstrated and the positive impact they have on the Hampshire and Isle of Wight community; not only have we reduced waiting times in this area, but we have been able to offer truly holistic care the patients who have attended. This wouldn't be possible without the MSK team from across Hampshire coming together at one location, and the community partners who joined us on the day to provide additional advice.
“Better Health Days are most definitely a part of the MSK service future, and we have many more planned across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight over the months that follow."