Morley and District Local Care Partnership is a well-established LCP with a geographical footprint covering Morley as well as Driglington, Gildersome, Churwell, Tingley and East Ardsley.
We have high levels of participation from colleagues across health, social care and the third sector. GP practices involved in our partnership are:
- Drighlington Medical Centre
- Fountain Medical Centre
- Gildersome Health Centre
- Leigh View Medical Practice
- Morley Health Centre
- South Queen Street Medical Centre
- Windsor House Group Practice
We collaborated during the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing information to better coordinate our response in the local area. We work together to look at where we can make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of defined groups within the local population. Addressing health inequalities through a local perspective has to lead us to think about a proactive approach and how to utilise available resources more effectively.
Current priorities
Population Health Management – Frailty
We are participating in population health management with a focus on frailty. We are using a data-driven approach and have identified a group of people with diabetes, falls, mobility, and transfer problems who live in some of the most deprived areas in the locality. We designed an intervention plan that will take a person-centred approach to work with individuals to improve their quality of life and prevent more severe levels of frailty in this group. The success of this intervention will be evaluated by measuring the impact on the individuals who have agreed to take part in the pilot.
Taking part in the population health management programme has strengthened the relationships across health, social care and the third sector organisations in the locality and citywide. It has encouraged everyone to consider the broader determinants of health and how we can significantly impact these determinants by working together – sharing skills, knowledge, and resources.
Health inequalities
Health inequalities are avoidable and unfair differences in health status between groups of people or communities. Health inequalities refer to the differences in health outcomes and health status between different groups of people, such as those based on socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender, or geographic location. In Morley there are several factors that contribute to health inequalities, including: socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, access to healthcare, and environmental factors.
To address health inequalities in Morley, it is important to take a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of these disparities. This may involve initiatives to improve access to healthcare and healthy food options, as well as efforts to promote physical activity and reduce smoking and alcohol consumption. It may also involve measures to address environmental hazards and improve access to green spaces. By taking a multi-faceted approach, it is possible to reduce health inequalities and improve health outcomes for all residents of Morley.
We are looking to increase awareness of several health inequalities factors mentioned above by proposing a yearly Community Health and Wellbeing event to ensure people understand the support out there and how to access it. This will also include all the deprived areas in Morley and District to ensure they are not left out.
Digital Inclusion Project
The Healthwatch Leeds report on ‘Digitising Leeds: Risks and opportunities for reducing health inequalities in Leeds’ highlighted the inequalities certain communities may face when accessing digitised health and care services. COVID helped to identify the benefits of going digital and has accelerated the process of health and care services becoming more digitised. Despite its benefits, this has presented some issues for those who do not have access to digital equipment or have low digital skills and motivation.
The Digital Health Hub aims to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in digital health, support the development of new technologies and services, and help healthcare providers to adopt and integrate digital solutions into their practice. It also seeks to create a vibrant community of digital health professionals, researchers, and entrepreneurs in the Leeds area.
After a successful pilot of creating Digital Health Hubs in South Leeds LCP, 100% Digital and the LCP decided to roll out the Digital Inclusion Project in waves to ensure people were able to benefit from the project quickly. Morley & District LCP was included in the first wave and partners have attended the Digital Inclusion workshops.
We are in the process of shaping Digital Health Hubs from existing local organisations in Morley that locals could go to for digital support. There will be opportunities for people to build their confidence in digital technology and learn how to manage their health by using the NHS app and other apps related to improving management of health conditions. We are also working with digital delivery partners that can deliver digital sessions at different venues.
How to get involved
We are keen to include more partners across the patch, in particular those who can support our current priorities and community groups. If you would like more information or to join us, please contact [email protected]