In this first blog post we are pleased to introduce you to the Growing Health Together (‘GHT’) programme and evaluation
GHT brings together local people, health and care professionals, the voluntary sector and local community organisations. The aim of the programme is to co-create an environment where health is improved and disease can be prevented through community established initiatives, with the support of and collaboration with local resources.
Starting in one GP network (or ‘Primary Care Network’) in East Surrey, the programme has now expanded to neighbouring areas, each with a GP Lead who facilitates activities. Each area works on different projects to support health and wellbeing, reflecting the different interests, needs and capabilities within each place, but the common principles in each Primary Care Network include:
- identifying and highlighting existing health and wellbeing opportunities
- listening to local people’s views
- supporting and enabling community members to lead their own health creation initiatives
- facilitating collaboration between citizens and local organisations
The research team at the Centre for Health Services Studies are evaluating the implementation and impact of GHT to explore what makes it successful, how it can be adapted for different places and to identify ‘best practice’ for developing community health creation programmes
The evaluation is funded by NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey, Sussex and supported by a public advisory group formed of people with experience of GHT. Their knowledge, feedback and contribution will ensure that multiple perspectives shape the study.
We look forward to updating you as the evaluation progresses. In the meantime, you can find out more about GHT at their website. If you would like to hear more about the programme from the Co-founder and Programme Director, Dr Gillian Orrow, you can listen to an interview with her on The Recovery podcast.
The CHSS team are collaborating with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex (ARC KSS) Primary and Community Health Services team on this evaluation.