A ground-breaking programme to support North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare patients and prevent the exacerbation of childhood asthma among children living in a cold home, has been launched in Stoke-on-Trent.
Fuel poverty charity, Beat the Cold, is collaborating with North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust and its inhouse Transformation Management Office to identify homes where health outcomes could be improved by warmer living conditions.
The scheme – piloted at Hanley-based Moorcroft Medical Centre – involves innovative software being deployed to target patient diagnoses of childhood asthma and other indicators of cold-related risk.
A text message service from the medical centre will then signpost targeted patients to support available from Beat the Cold, a Stoke-on-Trent charitable organisation that helps vulnerable families living in cold homes to access support and advice to reduce their risk associated with fuel poverty across the city and in Staffordshire.
Dr Fatima Elgizawy, Primary Care Clinical Director, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, said:
“We are proud that the Moorcroft Medical Centre is the first practice in Staffordshire to use data to identify children with an asthma diagnosis, who need proactive support within their homes.
“By providing our medical team with this comprehensive information, we aim to reduce fuel poverty amongst this selected patient group and reduce the frequency of asthma exacerbations.
“Importantly, this initiative is also expected to alleviate the burden on both primary and secondary healthcare services.”
The pilot scheme is an extension of the University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) award-winning established ‘Keep Warm, Keep Well’ programme.
‘Keep Warm, Keep Well’ provides a circular approach to alleviating fuel poverty and patient readmissions, innovatively funded through solar panels installed across seven buildings on the UHNM estate in Stoke-on-Trent, in partnership with Staffordshire Community Energy. Funds are used by Beat the Cold for its pioneering work with patients in the local area.
Louise Stockdale, Head of Transformation and Sustainability for University Hospital of North Midlands, said:
“Combined Healthcare is leading the way and is an example of true integrated care. This project has taken the UHNM ‘Keep Warm, Keep Well’ programme a step forward by using shared patient data to accurately target those most at risk of fuel poverty – this is one of the first of its kind in the UK.”
Focused on making tangible differences at scale, the Beat the Cold team has an extensive record of delivering expertise and insight to support the health care sector.
The charitable organisation was an expert witness in the development of National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (NICE) guidance G6, which sets out how to reduce the health risks, including preventable deaths, associated with living in a cold home. Fiona Miller, Development and Partnership Manager at Beat the Cold, said:
“We’re proud to work alongside North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust to develop such an innovative way to reach patients and continue to break the cycle of readmissions. We are looking forward to extending the work to reflect wider health conditions affected by the risk of fuel poverty.
“Last year we had a total of 10,543 enquiries across our entire service and we are constantly working with our partners to further enhance our health and housing referral service.
“Homes that are cold or damp through fuel poverty increase health inequalities, and can cause and worsen respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD.
“Cold living conditions can also impact cardiovascular diseases, poor mental health, dementia, hypothermia and problems with childhood development.
“In some circumstances, health problems may be exacerbated to such a degree through cold homes that they may cause death.
“This is the seriousness of fuel poverty.
“There is a significant NHS spend on preventable winter illness.
“By developing intervention strategies as early as possible, this pilot scheme could play a much-needed role in reducing health inequalities, whilst supporting hospital trusts with demand management, and patient flow.”
To find out more visit www.beatcold.org.uk or call 01782 914915.
