Across our region, we are seeing fantastic examples of how healthcare can be more accessible, proactive, and collaborative – exactly what the NHS 10-year plan sets out to achieve.
One recent example is the partnership between Elm Tree Medical Centre, working with PocDoc, Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, and Middlesbrough FC, who came together to offer health checks at the Middlesbrough Mela. This isn’t just about doing health checks in a park!
By using technology such as PocDoc, people could be screened for early signs of long-term conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes – helping us spot issues before they become more serious. By bringing services out of hospitals and clinics and into community settings, people were able to access care where they live, work, and play. And by focusing on prevention as well as treatment, we are helping people stay healthier for longer.
Most importantly, this collaboration demonstrates the power of working with community partners, charities and organisations such as football clubs to reach people who might not otherwise access NHS services. Together, we are reducing health inequalities and supporting healthier lives.
The Integrated Care Board (ICB) has been working with PocDoc and Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria for some time, recently funding the expansion of the Healthy Heart Check programme. We’re now also the first region working with PocDoc to give patients access to the Diabetes Health Check app. This is the world’s first health check for type 2 diabetes using a smartphone and finger-prick test that will cut diagnosis time from months to less than 10 minutes, which could help prevent tens of thousands of heart attacks and strokes.
Thanks to everyone involved in making this possible. It’s a shining example of how neighbourhood-focused, tech-enabled, preventative care can make a real difference and how, together, we are building healthier communities across the North East and North Cumbria.
