Exercise Referral Project
During 2006, the Health Forum will establish an Exercise Referral Project on a two-year demonstrational basis. This will be a new opportunity for people who have life-limiting conditions to benefit from a tailored exercise programme. Participants will be referred to the programme by their GP, after assessing that they are either:
- Overweight with a BMI of 25 or more from any age group.
- Older people with conditions such as coronary heart disease, stroke, arthritis, high blood pressure, back pain and post accident rehabilitation etc.
Beneficiaries of the programme will be identified by their GP as suitable for referral to the programme. The programme therefore will establish a strong relationship with a number of GP practices, the staff of which will be fully appraised as to the nature and benefits of the programme.
Bogside & Brandywell Health Forum intends to engage 35 participants per year in this programme. The pilot phase will span 24 months. Beneficiaries will receive a letter from their GP with a date and time to engage with the programme. They will visit the Gasyard Centre and meet with the qualified instructor whose initial tasks will be to fully explain the programme, conduct a health & fitness audit and then help the participant decide what type of activity is best for them and how best to start out. The programme will then commence over a further 11 weeks, with one-to-one support and supervision. The instructor will liase with the participant’s GP or Pharmacist with regard to particular issues and will monitor progress accordingly.
