Why is it Happening?
Gateshead Health Trainer Service will test out the following hypothesis in relation to the new midlife LifeCheck.

'How can it help the Health Trainer engage individuals who may not access the service using our existing tools and pathways?'

Currently we use our personal health check tool (PHC) to engage individuals, helping them to self assess lifestyle and wellbeing. The PHC is generally conducted on a second or third contact visit by a client. First contacts are frequently used to establish trust with the Health Trainer and when this is in place, clients are then asked if they wish to take a more detailed look at their lifestyle.

Workforce
We have train 4 HT's to use the mid LifeCheck internet site to enable them to provide support and guidance to users over the duration of the pilot programme. The team will integrate the piloting of the programme on Thursdays for 12 weeks.

Location
We have selected the East of Gateshead to pilot the LifeCheck. Leam Lane and Felling are both areas of significant deprivation, however, there are a number of modern new housing conurbations cutting through parts of the older established housing stock. In addition, there are a number of small shops scattered amongst the housing, with a main shopping precinct hosting approximately 40 stores, public buildings and services. Regular bus services from Leam Lane and Felling also go directly to Gateshead Town Centre.

Signing people up to test Mid LifeCheck!
A3 posters, leaflets and postcards will carry details of our Health Trainers to enable individual to telephone them to book an appointment to try out the Mid LifeCheck. Venues we are hosting test site in will be briefed on how staff can signpost to our Health Trainers throughout the course of the pilot programmes.

Leaflet drop and street work
The streets identified in the Leam Lane and Felling area will receive an individual leaflet through their door. Street work/canvassing will feature on the occasions we leaflet the streets to scope potential users who maybe out shopping, walking their dog, on route to appointments or at bus stops.

Library work
Alongside the face to face contact with users of the library service in the chosen locality we propose to run a feature on the Gateshead Library ASAP site raising awareness of the pilot and inviting self users to log on. Information posted on the Health Trainer discussion forum has been successful in the past with 300 people viewing the site every month.

Appointments to meet our Health Trainer
We aim to identify people who we have 'gained' through the use of the Mid LifeCheck. On the registration form we include the question have you heard of the Health Trainer service. This will give an indication of if the person in a new contact.

Outcomes in the first 9 weeks of the pilot

Reporting our outcome 2/3rds in to the pilot has shown 22 people completed a midlife check using the laptops and 1 person who is completing on line, we have held 5 sessions.

As stated in the guidelines we allow the client to complete the LifeCheck on their own, only giving assistance if required, the client then takes the printout away with them.

Clients are advised that if they wish to discuss anything that is highlighted in their LifeCheck then they are free to do so at any time. Most of the clients do discuss highlighted points from their LifeCheck.

Case study outcomes

1 female client was identified as not having had a smear test or a mammogram within the relevant timescale, asked if she wanted to discuss this, she did, and it was because she was scared of going to the GP's to sort this out as she had other concerns. The male HT doing the LifeCheck was able to refer her to a female colleague and the situation was resolved with future contact with HT to make appointment at GP.

1 Female client completed LifeCheck which identified that smoking issues where her concern. Client wished to stop smoking and asked if she could bring partner to next advertised session as they wished to stop as well. Both attended next session and have set quit date using NRT and HT smoking cessation programme.

An evaluation by The People Partnership will be carried out near the end of the pilot programme. Additional inforamtion can be acquired by contacting Maria Taubman: mariataubman@sotw.nhs.uk