Summary
The venue enables a more holistic service from within the heart of the community.
A national liver screening pilot is operating from a local leisure centre, thanks to a partnership with the NHS and Wigan Council.
Wigan Borough Federated Healthcare Ltd supports Wigan North and Wigan Central PCNs and applied to NHS England to deliver a national liver screening pilot from Robin Park Leisure Centre.
The pilot has invited 6,300-plus people for a chat about their liver health and around 19 per cent have taken up the offer so far.
People are contacted if they meet the following high-risk criteria: an alcohol consumption of more than 30 units per week, diagnosed with a fatty liver, with a BMI of more than 30, or with type 2 diabetes.
They’re invited into the leisure centre for a blood test to check for their risk of fibrosis in the liver and invited back for a scan, if necessary.
In some cases, patients are referred for further treatment and investigation but in many cases, the clinical team takes the opportunity to offer lifestyle advice where appropriate.
Mike Shinks, a nurse at Wigan Borough Federated Healthcare Ltd, said: “Even if a scan delivers a good result, we can chat about the benefits of making lifestyle changes. The Health Check training kicks in and we have the time to chat properly, and people talk more openly to us.
“Located where we are means we can offer a wraparound service. We can recommend people to look at the Be Well Wigan website for lifestyle advice, and where necessary, refer them to the We Are With You drug and alcohol charity.
“Being based in Robin Park means we can even show them around the leisure facilities and gym!”
Robin Park Leisure Centre is run by Wigan Council and during the pandemic they worked with Wigan Borough Federated Healthcare Ltd to deliver Covid vaccination clinics.
The relationship has continued and the leisure centre has converted some of its rooms to accommodate regular NHS Health Check clinics on behalf of the two PCNs – making it the ideal place for the liver pilot.
Only one in three liver cancers are diagnosed at an early stage but if caught early, patients have a 70 to 90 per cent chance of survival for five years or more with treatment.
The arrangement is an example of improved access and prevention as per the aims of the Greater Manchester Primary Care Blueprint. You can read the full case study on the PCB website, along with other examples of good practice in GM.
