HEALTH professionals in Newent and Staunton are part of a team that has won a regional award.

The primary care team working across Tewkesbury, the west of Cheltenham, Newent and Staunton (TWNS) have been recognised at the NHS England South West General Practice  Nursing Awards for a unique, proactive and patient-centred approach to managing the needs of older people.

The TWNS Primary Care Network – a group of GP practices working together with community practices – worked with local partners to provide tailored care for the over-65s.

More than 11,000 patients were identified from GP lists and contacted as part of the project.

The health and well-being team has been working with those older members of the community to identify early signs of frailty and support those who need extra help.

The team is made up of health and well-being coaches Chris Allen and Bev Paxton and senior nurse Anne Williams and Bev Paxton who work with and refer to social prescribing link workers, community NHS services - including falls clinics and physiotherapy, adult social care support services, Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, dementia nurses, weight loss services, mental health nurses, GPs and cancer support nurses among others. 

After speaking to patients, the team mapped all existing services and support options in the local area and found gaps, the next step was trying to fill them. 

So far, this has included setting up new weekly strength and balance classes, tailored exercise plans for patients with obesity, pre-diabetes and diabetes and working side by side with the social prescribing link worker team. 

Dr Jeremy Welch, one of the GPs working with the team said: “I have been blown away by the sheer magnitude of their achievements and the positive impact it has had on so many lives.”