Over £15,000 in funding has been made available to staff at Newham Hospital in the first round of funding of the Well Newham Challenge.
Funded by London Borough of Newham, seven projects are being supported, which aim to improve the health of borough residents by addressing the non-medical, social factors that can negatively impact their health. All projects will use quality improvement (QI) methodology and be supported by QI experts.
By working collaboratively, Newham Council and our hospital are empowering and supporting our staff to harness their expertise and experiences with local residents to improve the wider, holistic care provided to them. The ultimate aim of these projects is to further support the people of Newham in looking after and improving their health, and where possible, to reduce their need to visit a healthcare professional.
Speaking on the collaboration, Councillor Neil Wilson, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: “We’re very excited to be working with colleagues from Newham Hospital on the Well Newham Challenge. One of our ambitions as a council is to improve the health of our residents, and working with our local hospital, harnessing their knowledge and understanding of patients’ needs, is a great way to do this.
“Social Prescribing is a key pledge of Building a Fairer Newham, the Manifesto of May, 2022, and this is a part of our work to expand the reach of social prescribing across the borough.”
In order to be eligible for this funding, each team has to clearly demonstrate how their project will help improve and over social determinants of health, such as language and culture, social interaction and inclusion and housing and living.
The seven projects funded in this round come from various different teams across Newham Hospital and will be supported by our hospital’s QI team in their development, delivery and evaluation.
Commenting on the partnership, Dr Janice Roper, QI lead for Newham Hospital said: “Using QI methodology is a great way to address and overcome challenges that we face in healthcare, and I’m excited to work with and support colleagues to develop their QI skills through these projects. I’m extremely grateful to Newham council for funding and supporting this work, which I believe will make a difference to our local residents, and look forward to the opportunity to work more closely with our council colleagues, which I know will be of great benefit to us all.”
If you are interested in learning more about these projects, including how to apply for funding or how to get involved as a patient or public representative, please email the Barts Health QI team.