Sonic Healthcare UK has supported a recent initiative that aims to tackle health inequalities in North London.
In partnership with Camden Council, the Camden Clinical Commissioning Group has been bringing NHS health checks into the community via a mobile health bus, aiming to target “multiple preventative healthcare
and lifestyle pathways for individuals who need it most.”
The bus is taken out weekly, and conducts a variety of health checks, such as for prediabetes and cardiovascular conditions, as well as BMI and blood pressure measurements. If someone is found to be high risk for diabetes, bloods are taken and they are referred where appropriate.
The project also gives community residents a rare and much-needed opportunity to talk directly to healthcare professionals about what matters to them most when it comes to their health.
Thanks to the council’s connections, the team has been working with a number of community organisations to publicise the project among their networks. These include SHAK, Elfrida and Fitzrovia Youth in Action, Mosques (Kentish Town and Kings Cross), Healthwatch Camden and their Health and Wellbeing Partnership Board.
Dr Frances Baawuah, GP Partner and leader of the initiative, stresses the importance of adapting to the community’s diverse requirements:
“We are keen to be iterative in the delivery and adapt to the needs of the community. For example, we have sessions upcoming on Bengali healthy eating, and are working on an African/Caribbean cookbook for residents keen to lose weight and reduce the risk of diabetes.”
Sonic Healthcare UK has lent its invaluable support to the programme. All initial bloods are taken to its rapid response laboratory for testing after each session, and it is also assisting in the IT-related aspects, including the development of a dashboard where patient details are recorded on a monthly basis.
Dr Baawuah is pleased with the project’s progress since its launch in November last year, and looks forward
to making improvements to ensure its continued success:
“We really do feel this is having an impact already and look forward to continually analysing our data to back this. We have confirmed recurrent funding for another year, so are keen to tighten up processes.”