Edward GreenwoodDirector of Business Development & Strategy

GAMIAN 2007Rethink and the Lilly

Wellness Programme

PATIENT ADVOCACY

Rethink is the leading mental health charity in England and Northern Ireland – with 1500 staff, 375 services, 8,000 members and 130 support groups - Rethink works to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life

Rethink was founded over 30 years ago to give a Voice to people affected by severe mental illness - and today Rethink has a very influential political lobby and high profile campaign programme

Rethink helps over 48,000 people every year through our services and support groups, and the Rethink website receives 300,000 visitors every year

Need for improved services

• Average ten years life lost as a result of impoverished lifestyle, sub-standard physical health care (in primary and secondary care settings), and other complications – for example obesity, respiratory disease, CVA

• Risk of heart disease is two to four times higher than in the general population

• Risk of diabetes is five times higher• Hepatitis C is eight times higher• HIV is fifteen times higher• Complications of substance misuse • Depression associated with diabetes, cardio-

vascular disease, chronic pain

Rethink and the Wellbeing agenda

Led by members and service user concern about the physical health needs of the beneficiary group

Recurring theme in our research surveys and campaigns, for example ‘The Forgotten Generation' and ‘Make a Fresh Start’ and now ‘Moving People’

Lobbying Government (DH and DWP) to influence health and ‘health, work and well-being’ strategy

Well-being Support Programme links very well to Rethink’s work (over)

Rethink and the Wellbeing agenda

Promoting Recovery

Promoting self care/ self-management

Promoting social inclusion (e.g. PSA16) and welfare reform agenda, and Health, Work & Well-being national strategy

Tackling health inequalities

PSA Delivery Agreement 18 ‘health and social care’ includes: ‘decrease mortality rates from cancer, heart disease and suicide and smoking rates’

‘Moving People’ programme

• Largest ever national anti-stigma and physical activity programme in England and N.I.

• Between Mental Health Media, Mind, Rethink and Institute of Psychiatry

• Ambitious scale - £20 million over four years • Ambitious reach – 30 million people, five national

projects and 28 local projectsOutcomes:• 5 per cent positive shift in attitudes towards mental

health problems• 5 per cent reduction in discrimination by 2012• 100,000 people with mental health problems better

equipped to address discrimination• 275,000 people engaged in physical activity

From endorsement to involvement

• Logical decision to endorse the Lilly programme

• Existing partnership with Lilly UK - sponsorship support for campaigns, training and conferences

• Rethink reviewed WSP pilot sites research findings

• Rethink Board approved Rethink involvement

• Rethink lead manager attended three-day ‘advisor training’ and reported-back to Board etc

• Nominations from nurses in Rethink services to undertake the WSP training, twelve nurses trained to date

Positive outcomes to date

• Enthusiasm of staff to participate in WSP and similar initiatives

• Reinforced and promoting links with primary health care services

• Blood results from the programme indicating very high cholesterol levels in a number of patients, etc

• The WSP has assisted in raising awareness of the need to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours across services and is augmented by other methods (e.g. Physical Health Check tool for non nursing staff)

Beyond the Programme

• Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) • Rethink Quality Standards• Developing better links with Primary Care Services • Active health promotion campaigns e.g. smoking

cessation, stress reduction• Introduction of physical health check tools across

services following a research pilot• Development of web-based information and self-

care resources• Working with Department of Health and other

agencies to address needs of SMI sub-group• Condition Management Programmes

CONTACT DETAILS

Edward Greenwood

Rethink

Department of Health,

Health Inequalities Expert Reference Group

07976 572 577

edward.greenwood@rethink.org