Successful community event held for patients under NHS care

More than 150 people attended a third community event aimed at supporting patients with their health and wellbeing.

The event was organised by MSK Together - a partnership hosted by Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which includes Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Primary Integrated Community Services (PICS) and NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB).

Taking place at Kirkby Leisure Centre, it was attended by residents of Mansfield, Ashfield, and Newark and Sherwood who are on under the care of the NHS for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions which affect bones, joints, or muscles.

MSK conditions can significantly impact people’s quality of life and ability to work and socialise, often existing with other health problems like obesity, chronic pain, depression, and physical inactivity. The purpose of the event was to help those people access the wide range of help and support services available to them within the local area.

Connecting people with local support networks empowers them to proactively manage their health whilst they are waiting for the next step in their treatment journey.

Claire Hinchley, Acting Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust was extremely supportive of the event and said: “Events such as this are so important as they support members of the community to take control of their own health and wellbeing, providing them with the practical advice and resources they need to manage this. Thank you to all the partners involved who worked together to make this event such a success.”          

Several local community services were in attendance to offer support to those with MSK conditions to live well and these included Disability Nottinghamshire, ATTFE, Ashfield Voluntary Action, Newark and Sherwood CVS, Citizens Advice, East Midlands Chamber and Your Home Care.

The Digital Notts team were there showing people how to use the NHS app and guiding them to find the information that is important to them. The Patient Engagement Research Team offered people the chance to get involved in MSK research and help to shape services for the future. MSK physiotherapy and pain team members provided advice and information, and the pre-op therapy teams were on hand to help attendees think about how best to prepare their body and lifestyle for surgery. They hosted presentations and answered questions throughout the day.

Everyone Active were also present to provide exercise support. Sarah Kirk, Activity and Wellbeing Manager for Everyone Active, said: “Patients are referred through their GP or healthcare professional to us and we will help them with a fitness plan. We attended this event to work with MSK partners and provide a service for the local community, help them to manage their current conditions and support with other health conditions.”

Those in attendance were allocated a ‘care navigator’ to go through an ‘About Me’ form with them. The aim was to find out what matters to them, and then goals were set for their health and wellbeing, and they were recommended the best stands to visit whilst at the event.

Sarah continued: “We’re all here to help support our local communities and this event is the perfect example of secondary care and community partnerships working together. It is a person-centred approach and means that attendees can make choices and be empowered to take ownership of their own health and wellbeing.”

Local resident Darren Miller, 61, has osteoarthritis and attended the event after receiving an invitation. He found it helped him to understand and manage his condition. He said: “I found today incredibly useful. I didn’t know what to expect and was a bit cynical and wondered how it was going to help. “Having an informal talk with a physio has been informative, incredibly beneficial and has put my mind at rest.”