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NHS Salford: Making Every Contact Count






Posted by Aran Burton on 18th January 2012 at 12:04 PM
NHS Salford: Making Every Contact Count
A report from the NHS Future Forum has suggested that healthcare professionals need to ‘make every contact count’.

The report states; “There are many small steps that everyone involved in the NHS can take to make a big difference to the health and wellbeing of the people with whom they meet and work.”

Each day in England; GPs and practice nurses see over 800,000 people, dentists see over 250,000 NHS patients, and 1.6 million people visit a pharmacy. The report indicates that there are millions of opportunities for NHS staff to offer advice and support to maintain or improve a person's mental and physical health and wellbeing.

‘Making Every Contact Count in Salford’ has already begun. NHS Salford and Salford City Council are working together to deliver training to a range of frontline staff in Salford, not just those in the NHS. This is to ensure that making every contact count is part of all daily interaction with members of the public.

The training will help staff make the most of their interactions with the public. This could mean talking about a range of issues like smoking, healthy eating, exercise, drinking, debt, housing, benefits and employment.

A variety of Salford organisations are involved so that Salford residents get a consistent level of information and support. This includes Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford Community Leisure and the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Melanie Sirotkin, Director of Public Health for NHS Salford and Salford City Council, said; “Not only is Salford already delivering these proposals, but we are expanding on the initial principles by involving a wider range of staff and by training staff to be able to discuss a wider range of issues that affect health and well being such as lifestyle choices, money, employment and housing. Our aim is to make a difference to health and well being in Salford and support people to be more informed when making decisions that could impact on their lives”

Councillor John Warmisham, Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Health at Salford City Council, said: “This process is about making sure anyone who has contact with the public is in a position to offer them advise on any health issues and put them in contact with the right organisation to get help. Health and wellbeing affects every area of a person’s life and we want to make sure Salford residents get the support they need to live healthy and happy lives.”

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