Coventry and Warwickshire ICS has shared insight and data around a project aiming to tackle health inequalities by prioritising prevention and increasing access to support, particularly for people with severe mental illness (SMI).
The project focused on increasing awareness of information and support for people with SMIs, after the ICS identified that only 25.9 percent of those on the SMI register in the area had undergone their free annual physical health check, and engagement revealed that only 74 percent of respondents were unaware of their entitlement to the check. A more personalised approach was adopted, with the ICS using the engagement from service users as well as clinicians to help shape plans.
The developed approach includes a virtual hub designed to help make information “as accessible as possible” and to support people to speak to “someone who understands their experiences” either by email or phone. The hub also offers elements of the health check to be delivered over the phone to increase flexibility.
Data shared by Coventry and Warwickshire indicates that the percentage of people receiving their health check rose to 67.8 percent following the project, with the ICS sharing plans to take on a “community connector” approach to support onward referrals and interventions to support healthy lifestyles.
Also from Coventry and Warwickshire
HTN previously explored more project insights and data outcomes from Coventry and Warwickshire, looking at the ICS’s work supporting people from home as well as improving efficiencies around cardiology care. Click here to read more.
Last week, we noted how PhD students from Coventry University are developing digital solutions aiming to help improve healthcare access in low to middle income countries, supported by researchers from the university’s Centre for Intelligent Healthcare and its digital health social enterprise spinout Hope 4 The Community CIC.
July saw us cover the news that a new system-wide electronic referral service for community opticians has been launched across Coventry and Warwickshire, enabling opticians to send referrals for patients in need of further investigation or treatment to a single point of access in the Coventry and Warwickshire Ophthalmology Co-ordination Service.
And in June, we highlighted the go-live of the EPR at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.
Tackling health inequalities
Also last week, HTN covered news of £1 million in funding from the Scottish Government for the Inclusion Health and General Practice programme’s second year, aiming to support tackling inequalities in Greater Glasgow and Clyde through extended consultations, links with community groups, and training in health equity for staff.
We looked into the ‘state of the system’ report from Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB, which shares work taking place over 2024-25 to identify people with undiagnosed hypertension and to address health inequalities in this space.
And in July we highlighted an opportunity worth an estimated £354,000 for a digital inequalities support service from NHS Black Country ICB.
