A scheme to reduce the impact of fuel poverty on vulnerable people has been linked to a near 10 per cent reduction in GP appointments, according to a new report.
The project focused on adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in St Helens and Knowsley. It features an innovative package of interventions, including medicines optimisation, pulmonary rehabilitation referrals, referrals for tobacco dependency treatment and help with finances.
The report, compiled by NHS Cheshire and Merseyside who worked in partnership with Health Innovation North West Coast, shows a 9.8 per cent reduction in GP appointments in the 12 months after the project was launched.
The analysis compared a group of 254 patients who had benefited from an intervention and a matched group of patients who had not had the intervention. This evaluation showed around 400 GP appointments had been avoided. If the programme was then scaled up to over 1000 patients, we could potentially see a reduced demand for 1575 GP appointments.
This could enable GP practices to focus their specialist skills on those patients who are most in need of their care.
Feedback from patients throughout the project has also been very positive. One patient said:
“The team gave me help and I trust them to help me with my many illnesses. I could not have asked for anything else.”
Professor Ian Ashworth, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Director of Population Health, said: “This is a great example of how collaboration can deliver significant results. The partnership has brought together a wide range of specialists who have used their expertise to support some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.”
Rhiannon Clarke, Senior Programme Manager at Health Innovation North West Coast, said: “These results are fantastic, and they validate everything we’ve been doing. They show how well the scheme has not only supported people with COPD but also relieved some of the pressures on the healthcare system.
“We knew that an innovative scheme such as this could make the most of the knowledge and expertise we have in the region and target support to those who were most in need.”
The project used the Combined Intelligence for Population Health Action (CIPHA) data system to identify people who would benefit most from an intervention. This is part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Data into Action programme that uses system-wide data to better understand and support local populations.
While the scheme focused initially on adults with COPD it has since widened its scope to support children with breathing problems with increased risk of admission to hospital. You can read more here.
By last spring, nearly 700 people had been supported to improve their health as part of the scheme. Read more here and explore the toolkit that was developed to support colleagues who want to roll out similar schemes in other areas.
The fuel poverty project was funded through NHS England’s Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme (InHIP) which aims to address healthcare inequalities experienced by deprived and other under-served populations.
Anyone who would like more information about our fuel poverty mitigation work should contact Rhiannon Clarke at Rhiannon.clarke@healthinnovationnwc.nhs.uk
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