ACE Anglia information & advice provision

Project description

Weekly health and wellbeing meetings hosted to support people with worries, fears, concerns and information during Covid-19.

Aims and objectives

The weekly meetings are hosted by Ace Anglia and the Suffolk Primary Care Learning Disability Liaison nurses. People can discuss their worries, fears, concerns, ideas and the information they have heard. They offer a platform for people to directly engage and ask questions to the nurses and there are guest speakers such as GPs and specialist nurses some weeks, who have helped explain and demonstrate PPE and how the surgery or hospital has changed.

Ace Anglia wanted to continue to develop the productive relationship with health in Suffolk. The meetings offer people a safe place to have their health and wellbeing and Coronavirus related issues heard and professional advice given. In a time where information has been conflicting for people, both from the government and media portrayal as well as from the support that people have in their lives.

What was different about this approach?

Ace Anglia haven’t heard of any similar meetings where people can have direct contact with health care professionals as well as with other self-advocates during Covid-19.

What is the impact and benefit for people?

People have felt empowered and confident to speak up. They have told Ace Anglia they think the meetings are very good because they help people not to worry so much and give answers to questions on lots of topics.

People have also been part of shaping the future in terms of how annual health checks will work and how GP surgeries can best support people to in the ‘new normal’. On personal levels, the nurses have been able to separately follow up issues that have arisen during the meetings. People feel less anxious about attending GP surgeries and hospital if they need to as they know what to expect.

Is the solution sustainable post Covid-19?

Ace Anglia and the nurses are keen to continue the meetings and relationship development. We have plans to focus on GP friendly surgeries as well as exploring health topics each week. This will fit in line with the work to increase the number of people attending and having good quality annual health checks.