Revolutionary partnership in Arun helps people with health conditions get active

A revolutionary way for residents with health conditions to exercise has been developed in Arun.

The change in process means that people self-referring to exercise classes now do not need to book a meeting with their GP first thanks to a partnership between Arun Primary Care Network (PCN) and Freedom Leisure.

The move comes as a result of Freedom Leisure being awarded 26 weeks’ worth of funding through Active Sussex from the NHS Sussex Personalised Care and Prevention, to target adults with a diagnosed health condition through physical activity sessions and the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme.

Charlotte Simpson, from Freedom Leisure, said: “This is partnership working at its best and is a huge step forward for Arun and Freedom Leisure. 

“This breakthrough will make such a huge difference not only to our service users accessing services quickly, but it will allow us to move closer into the community of more vulnerable adults in a safe way.”

This change came about after a number of people who self-referred to a Freedom Leisure exercise class as part of the funded project turned out to have complex health needs.

Charlotte said: “After conducting a detailed pre-exercise questionnaire called a PARQ, there were a number of participants who were more at risk than others due to their complex health conditions. 

“For our instructors to be able to continue delivering the sessions safely and appropriately to all participants, Freedom required some of these patients to be signed off by a GP that they could exercise.

“This immediately put a barrier in the way for these self-referring individuals, as it is not easy to see a GP quickly for something that might not be considered a priority. 

“The team at Freedom are passionate about not turning service users away and leaving them without support, particularly as many of these individuals have made the incredibly important first step back to addressing their health and wellbeing. 

“One participant in particular struggled a lot with their anxiety and the instructor was concerned about asking them not to attend until a GP can sign them off as there was a high chance the individual would lose their confidence.

“We raised this issue promptly with Active Sussex and with their support, we took our concerns to the ARUN PCN and local GP/Clinical Director.” 

After discussions over the matter at PCN meetings, a plan was put in place by the Clinical Director moving forward. 

This means that members of the public ‘self refer’ to the exercise referral classes, filling in a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PARQ) supplied by Freedom Leisure. 

This is then sent over to the PCN where it is reviewed and individuals are either approved to attend the classes or referred for further review from clinical staff rather than Freedom staff.

This means that members of the public do not have to book a GP appointment where they may potentially have to wait a long time and potentially lose their confidence and enthusiasm to get active.

It also means the participant can take part in the classes quicker, which can help contribute to the prevention of further medical issues, and feel more supported while getting active.

The exercise classes are delivered by Level 3 instructors, one of whom has extensive knowledge and training in a range of exercise specialities, including cardiac and pulmonary rehab, long-term neurological conditions, obesity, diabetes, and chronic lower back pain and can provide individuals with an incredibly high level of support. 

One class attendee said: “The class has made such a difference to my life in just a few months. 

“Having suffered with ongoing age-related conditions over the last ten years I was extremely apprehensive about attending this class but knew I needed to take the step for my health and wellbeing. 

“My balance in particular has improved incredibly. I have managed to stop myself falling recently which I would never have been able to do before.”