In Newcastle, there are an estimated 40,000 people who suffer with one or more long-term health conditions including diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart disease and this week NHS Newcastle West CCG along with partners are launching a ‘Ways to Wellness programme’ to provide funding for social prescribing.
To address this issue, a newly-formed organisation called Ways to Wellness has developed an innovative programme based on the concept of ‘social prescribing’ – the use of non-medical interventions to achieve sustained lifestyle change and improved self-care among people with long-term health conditions. Ways to Wellness believes this first programme, which will start next week and run for an initial seven years, can improve the health of approximately 11,000 people living in the west of Newcastle.
