Your doctor isn’t the only person who can help you feel better. There are many things that can affect your health and wellbeing, not only medical issues. When non-medical issues arise you may be referred to a Living Well Coordinator. The West Northumberland Living Well Coordination Service aims to offer support with your health and wellbeing and can help to connect you to a range of services.
The Living Well Service is an NHS service, funded by the West Northumberland Primary Care Network and delivered in partnership with Adapt (North East).
The Living Well Coordination Service is a social prescribing service. Read more about social prescribing or watch this short animation to find out more.
How we support you
There are many things that can affect your health and wellbeing, not only medical issues. In these situations, a Living Well Coordinator may be able to help.
A Living Well Coordinator’s role is to help you to address the non-medical issues in your life that may be having an impact on your health and wellbeing.
Our main role is to connect you to appropriate forms of support from voluntary and community organisations and sometimes from NHS and other statutory services. Where needed we can work closely with your GP practice and other services involved in your care, in order to best support you.
Once a referral has been received your Living Well Coordinator will contact you to arrange an assessment of your needs and priorities. The Living Well Coordinator will then work together with you to make a plan to support your wellbeing.
The intensity of support you receive will depend on your individual needs. You will initially have up to eight sessions with your Living Well Coordinator and you can choose to stop receiving support from the Living Well Service at any time.
Your Living Well Coordinator will not have direct access to your medical records, but information may be shared between your GP practice and the Living Well Service both during the referral process and if it is felt that clinical input is needed to best support you. Your Living Well Coordinator will also send a short report back to your GP practice after your sessions have been completed.
We can speak to you on the phone or meet in person to:
- Discuss any issues you are facing
- Explore what is important for you
- Find local services and activities
- Give you support to access them
Services to help you feel better
We can help you access a variety of services which may include:
- Housing, benefits and financial support and advice
- Employment, training and volunteering
- Education and learning
- Healthy lifestyle advice and physical activity
- Arts, music, outdoor and creative activities
- Befriending and counselling services
- Emotional support groups (such as professional or peer-led support for specific circumstances or conditions)
Eligibility
To access the Living Well Coordination service you need to:
- Be over the age of 16.
- Want support with non-clinical issues that are impacting your health or wellbeing.
- Want to engage with a social prescribing approach to improve your wellbeing.
- Be a registered patient at one of the following West Northumberland GP practices:
- Adderlane Surgery
- Bellingham Practice
- Branch End Surgery
- Burn Brae Medical Group
- Corbridge Medical Group
- Haltwhistle Medical Group
- Humshaugh and Wark Medical Group
- Prudhoe Medical Group
- Riversdale Surgery
- Scots Gap Medical Group
- Sele Medical Practice
- White Medical Group
Please note that the service may not be appropriate for all circumstances and in this case, you may be signposted or offered a referral to a service more appropriate to your needs.
How to access the service
You can be referred to the Living Well Coordination Service by your GP practice or you can self-refer into the service.
If you wish to request a referral to a Living Well Coordinator then please speak to any member of your GP practice team or download, complete and return the self-referral form.
If you are a health professional you can refer an individual to the service via our third-party referral form.
For further information, or if you need help to self-refer, please contact the Living Well Coordination Service directly on 01434 600599 (option 4).
