The Healthier Together Hackney (HTH) Service is excited to start welcoming Hackney residents back as we restart our physical activity on referral and weight management programmes across the Better Leisure Centres.

The Healthier Together service has been designed to promote physical activity, mental wellbeing and healthy eating, improving people’s health and supporting the reduction in health inequalities in Hackney. Our programmes will continue to play a key role in supporting the local community during this challenging time.

Now that our Leisure Centres have reopened the Healthier Together Service has started to offer face to face appointments and weight management group based programmes. Participants can select whether they access the service in Centres or whether they would prefer to receive a virtual remote service.

As safety is of upmost importance to us, Better have made a number of changes in line with Government and National Governing Body guidance, along with enhanced hygiene measures, to ensure customer visits are as safe as possible.

Around the Leisure Centre’s there will be:

• A one-way system that customers should follow at all times.
• Coronavirus safety signs and floor stickers instructing customers to keep to a safe distance. Our Centres are running at reduced capacity, so customers will be able to maintain a physical distance from other visitors.
• Sanitisation stations that customers should use in between activities and using any equipment.
• Staff cleaning the gym, equipment and spaces with disinfectant regularly throughout the day and a deep clean every night.

Our staff have also undertaken increased training modules on COVID-19 prevention and have been instructed to use cleaning kits as often as possible.

Throughout the Covid lockdown the Healthier Together team have been making calls to support those already on the programme providing motivation and encouragement in order to make healthy lifestyle choices as well as providing social support at this time of social isolation. All participants have been supported with an individualised home programme which includes information on exercising safely at home. For those unable to access the online resources the team have been posting out home programmes and following up with a call to talk through with individuals. Those on the weight management programme have also received additional resources around healthy eating.

Over 2000 successful contacts have been made and over 500 higher risk individuals living with a range of medical conditions have been helped with one-to-one support throughout the pandemic.

Our weight management programmes provide vital support to many individuals looking to lead a healthier and active lifestyle. As such, the Healthier Together service has also developed a new Virtual Weight Management Programme to help bridge the gap created by the pandemic and this platform supports our communities with an innovative, accessible, and safe pathway to leading a healthier lifestyle.

What is Healthier Together Hackney?

Healthier Together Hackney is a healthy lifestyle programme, commissioned by the London Borough of Hackney, designed to support patients to lose weight and get active. The service offers both weight management and exercise on referrals pathways for participants and has been designed to tackle ill-health related to obesity and physical inactivity.

Who is Healthier Together Hackney for?

The Healthier Together programme is for people who are:

• Aged 18 years or over 
• Hackney resident, or registered with a Hackney GP
• Ready to make significant changes to their daily habits
• In need of structured support to make lifestyle changes

How do I make a Referral?

To refer please complete the referral form. Please contact our Healthier Together advisors for electronic versions of the referral forms or help with queries regarding making a referral.

To best enable a referral please remember to:

• Discuss the programme with the individual concerned and ensure that they ready to undertake a 12 week programme based around behaviour change and the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviours
• Use our Healthier Together referral form and complete as fully as possible
• Obtain your patients consent to be contacted by our team

Referrals can be sent via:

• Email from an NHS.NET email account): CAHCCG.Healthwise@NHS.NET
• Post: Healthier Together Hackney, Kings Hall Leisure Centre, 39 Lower Clapton Road, Hackney, E5 0NU

For more information please call the Healthier Together Hackney Team on: 0207 749 7645

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusions

• Aged 18 years or over
• Hackney resident, or, if non Hackney resident, registered with a Hackney GP
• At least one of:
  • Obese or overweight with obesity-related risk factors
  • Inactive (≤ 30 minutes physical activity per week) with risk factors/health conditions amenable to physical activity
• Initial assessment suggests ‘ready to change’ and in need of a structured programme 

 

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How to refer

The following clinicians can refer to this service: GPs, Nurses

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