South Birmingham PCT ... Navigating the NHS when far from home
It’s all very well having a great health service, but lots of people who need the NHS don’t use it or don’t know how to use it. This is particularly true within some ethnic minority communities. Worse still, people in these communities are more likely to have long-term conditions, such as coronary heart disease, that need regular care.
That’s why South Birmingham PCT has developed an innovative course to train people to support others with long-term conditions in their own homes. The recruits, many of them without formal qualifications, are taught listening and communication skills and how to steer people around the NHS. They are supported as they acquire the literacy and numeracy skills for the job.
“We’re particularly interested in training people from ethnic minority communities,” says Grainne Behan, course coordinator. “We want a workforce that reflects the community and will be better able to communicate. Often patients are more open because they feel the person from their own community is receptive, someone in whom they can confide.
“The new staff will visit people at home. Perhaps a husband is looking after his wife who has a chronic condition. The worker may find that the couple have been trying to access health care services but have not had much luck. A lot people with chronic illnesses don’t know where to go to for help. The same goes for their carers.
“The new workers will signpost them to the right places. Perhaps the couple have been told to eat healthier food, but don’t know where to start. So the worker will take them shopping and show them what to buy. Success in this field is all about understanding and communicating at the right level.”