Ayrshire and Arran is situated in the west of Scotland. The population
varies from rural in the south, old coal mining areas in the east and
industrial towns in the north. There are considerable health
inequalities throughout Ayrshire and Arran – particularly in east and
north Ayrshire. And the area covers some areas of high deprivation.
COPD
is particularly prevalent in areas of high deprivation, mostly linked
to smoking rates but in east Ayrshire, the fact that it is an ex-mining
community also takes its toll (coal dust can be a cause). The prevalence of COPD in the three
Ayrshire and Arran Community Health Partnerships reflects this: East
Ayrshire 2.2 per 100 patients; North Ayrshire 2.02 per 100 patients and
South Ayrshire 1.74 per 100 patients.
NHS Ayrshire and Arran is one of eight sites involved in Co-creating Health, the Health Foundation initiative testing a new model of care that hopes to change the patient-clinician relationship to one of partnership and co-creation. The initiative works across the system to embed self-management support for people with long-term conditions.
NHS Ayrshire and Arran is supporting people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to manage their condition and enjoy a better quality of life.
The team in NHS Ayrshire and Arran already had a track record in encouraging people with COPD to self manage. Co-creating Health provided the opportunity to consolidate the work they were doing but they were also eager to try a new approach that really embeds self-management support into the healthcare system.
Here two members of NHS Ayrshire and Arran's Co-creating Health team share their experiences of the early stages of the programme.
17 December 2008