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Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke: STRATEGY FOR SCOTLAND
APPENDIX 2 'HAVE A HEART PAISLEY'
The 'Have a Heart Paisley' project is a national demonstration project funded by the Scottish Executive. Its primary purpose is to act as a test bed for action that will reduce the impact of CHD in the population of Paisley and so suggest action than can be implemented widely to deliver similar benefits throughout Scotland as a whole. HaHP is a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary, multi-location initiative. It aims to provide community-located, population-based primary prevention, complemented by individualised rehabilitation and secondary prevention. It seeks to apply lessons learned from elsewhere and test new activities and ways of working. The project is being independently evaluated by the University of Glasgow.
The project's approach comprises five main strands which are being woven together to create a new Paisley Pattern of better health:
call to action;
building community capacity;
opportunities, environments and lifestyles;
developments in health care and health information; and
learning and development.
Achievements to date
Wide-ranging communication activities have raised awareness of the project, promoted healthy lifestyle messages and encouraged community participation in community events and projects. The project has supported an array of community-based projects that provide healthy advice and activities at a local level that relate to the three main causes of heart disease; the projects are initiated and implemented by members of the community to address their specific health needs. Paisley-wide strategies have been developed to help make healthier choices in relation to eating, tobacco and physical activity more acceptable and easier to make. Renfrewshire Council is taking forward several initiatives in schools, neighbourhoods and workplaces that focus on the needs of vulnerable groups, such as children and the elderly in care. The project's learning and development strand is equipping members of the community and professionals involved in the prevention and treatment of heart disease with the appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills to participate in the project. An innovative Paisley Heart Awards scheme has been established. A ground-breaking CHD register has been created to help ensure that more people affected by heart disease, and those with a high risk of developing it, receive the best, up-to-date treatment available. An innovative menu-based cardiac rehabilitation programme has been established at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, allowing four times as many patients to benefit. Hospital and primary health care teams have developed local clinical guidelines to improve services and care pathways for CHD patients.
Locality Networks
Locality networks are an intrinsic part of the 'Have a Heart Paisley' approach. Paisley has been sectored into four localities with a broadly similar population and demographic profile. Each locality has a 'Have a Heart Paisley' co-ordinator whose job it is to facilitate the development of community activities and strengthen links between agencies and community groups.
Evaluation is ongoing, but the locality network model appears to be working well in practice. It has nurtured a more comprehensive network of health improving community activities. Although conceived with the primary prevention of coronary heart disease in mind, the model lends itself to use in community-based secondary prevention and rehabilitation. Connecting co-ordinated locality networks to Managed Clinical Networks could provide an enticing opportunity to marry co-ordinated community-led health activity to managed clinical services and facilitate meaningful practical public involvement in health service provision. It may also be possible to develop locally-based networks into sustainable 'development trusts' that would continue to co-ordinate activities while acting as stewards to manage and maintain a balanced community-led programme.
For more information, including a copy of the first annual report for the Demonstration Project Programme, check out
www.show.scot.nhs.uk/demonstrationprojects or log on to
www.haveaheart.org.uk
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