Living Well Hub Opened to Support People’s Health in Warrington
A Living Well Hub designed to help people with their health and wellbeing needs, reduce inequalities, and support town centre regeneration has been opened in Warrington. How will this help to support the local community?
The Town Deal-funded Hub, on Horsemarket Street, is one of the first of its kind in the country. It will see 25 organisations and more than 350 staff provide a wide range of NHS and non-clinical services under one roof.
At the heart of the Hub is the local community
Thousands of people are expected to use the three-storey building over the next 12 months, with spaces shared by teams from Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WHH), Warrington Borough Council, Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, and support from voluntary and charitable sector partners.
Simon Constable, Chief Executive of WHH, explained how the local community is at the heart of the Hub: “It’s fantastic to see so many organisations represented here today from across Warrington.”
The Living Well Hub has been a real team effort since its conception four years ago, and is proof that by working together we can achieve great things together, for the benefit of the town.
Continuing, Simon added: “Some of the services on offer here at the Hub would previously only have been delivered in a hospital setting, however it’s really important that we’re now able to deliver them in the town centre, providing better access for those who need the most support.
“By doing so we can tackle health inequalities, improve patient outcomes, and reduce the pressure on acute hospital services, while also helping to create jobs and support the regeneration of the town centre.”
There will be a specific focus on women’s and children’s health services
The ground floor of the Hub is a community-led space with a café area where Warrington residents can drop in to discuss any issues that may be affecting their health and wellbeing.
NHS and non-clinical services will be delivered on the first floor, with several consultation and clinical rooms for use, while the second floor will predominantly be for staff use.
Professor Colin Scales, CEO of Bridgewater Community Healthcare, one of the NHS partners involved in the project, said: “As a community health care provider, we see the impact of health inequalities, and the wider determinants of health, across our local communities.
“Bringing key partners and services together under one roof; the opening of the Living Well Hub will enable the residents of Warrington to take greater control of their own health, wellbeing and resilience.”
There will be a focus on providing women’s health services and services for children, families and older people. Maternity (pre and post-natal), dementia, mental health, weight management, cardiac rehab and health visitor clinics are among the services being provided.
There will be support from third-party partners including Macmillan, Warrington Disability Partnership, LiveWire, Home Start, and other voluntary organisations offering a mix of booked appointments and drop-in support during the week.
Health inequalities will be addressed through the Hub
Elaine Darbyshire, Chief Communication, Engagement and Estates Officer at Mersey Care, expressed: “Mersey Care is pleased to be a founding partner of the Living Well Hub which places individuals, organisations and residents at the heart of their community care.
The new facility will improve the way people can access support to help them live and age well, and be involved and active in their health, wellbeing, and mental health.
She added that going forward, more services will be implemented: “The Hub will also provide opportunities for a range of Mersey Care mental health services to be embedded and connected to the local communities to deliver high quality, accessible care closer to home and without the need for a hospital visit.”
The Living Well Hub is specifically aimed at addressing health inequalities in Warrington, where there is a 10-year difference in life expectancy between the most and least deprived members of the community.
It is part of the borough-wide Living Well programme, which aims to connect people, communities and services to enable residents to live healthy, fulfilling lives and take greater control over their health, wellbeing and resilience.
Councillor Maureen McLaughlin, Cabinet Member for Public Health, said: “I am confident that the Living Well Hub is going to be a gamechanger for Warrington. Whoever you are, if there are any aspects of your health and wellbeing you want advice about, I encourage you to drop in and start a conversation with one of the hub’s experts.
“By working together in partnership with other providers, a range of help and support is available to you and your family, and I encourage you to take a look at the Hub for yourself when it opens to the public.”
Hubs like this one being opened to the public is fundamental to creating not only connected communities, but ensuring that everyone gets the care and support that they need.
