Health promotion is a term that is applied to a wide range of approaches designed for improving the health of patients , we fully intent to support this concept and believe that there are considerable health gains to be derived from encouraging people to live healthier, fitter and more active lives, avoiding known risks to health.
The interventions below are suggested to help patients make healthier choices for themselves.
Alcohol
Alcohol misuse is when you drink in a way that's harmful, or when you're dependent on alcohol. To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level, both men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week.
A unit of alcohol is 8g or 10ml of pure alcohol, which is about:
A small glass (125ml, ABV 12%) of wine contains about 1.5 units of alcohol.
If you need help or advice regarding alcohol use please visit the NHS Wales 111 website below
NHS 111 Wales - Living and Feeling Well : Alcohol
Smoking
Cigarette smoking is the greatest single cause of illness and premature death in the UK. Worldwide, tobacco kills 7 million people every year. Almost a million deaths are due to non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. If you are a long-term smoker, on average, your life expectancy is about 10 years less than a non-smoker. Put another way, in the UK about 8 in 10 non-smokers live past the age of 70 but only about half of long-term smokers live past 70. The younger you are when you start smoking, the more likely you are to smoke for longer and to die early from smoking.
NHS Wales have setup a resource called Help Me Quit and patients are four times more likely to stop smoking with NHS stop smoking support than by going it alone. The services are free effective and tailored to a smokers’ needs
Smokers can call 0800 085 2219, Text HMQ to 80818 or visit helpmequit.wales to access NHS stop smoking support
Healthy Weight
Being a healthy weight supports both physical and mental health. People of a healthy weight live longer lives, with a greater proportion free of disability and ill health.
Being a healthy weight can help prevent a number of chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke, as well as reducing the impact of other conditions such as arthritis.
The Cwm Taf Morgannwg Healthy Weight team are working closing with Local Authorities, community groups and key public services to build healthier communities, where the healthy choice is the easy choice and people are supported to live healthy, happy and prosperous lives. This whole system approach looks at the bigger picture rather than trying to change one small thing at a time.
For more information on Welsh Government’s Healthy Weight, Healthy Wales strategy, please visit Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales.
For more information on Healthy Weight in Wales, please visit Healthy Weight - Public Health Wales.
Eating Well
Eating well and having a healthy lifestyle can help us feel our best – and make a big
difference to our long-term health. So why not make a change today?
An Eatwell guide has been produced by Welsh Government and can be accessed on the Welsh Government website - here
Exercise
The National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS) is a chronic condition prevention and management programme which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of sedentary and inactive adults who are at risk of developing or who have an existing chronic condition. It provides a 16-week programme of physical activity to individuals referred by NHS health professionals, using behaviour change techniques to embed positive physical activity habits.
Once referred, patients that meet the criteria are invited to their local leisure centre for an initial assessment with a qualified exercise referral professional. They will be offered a tailored, supervised exercise programme for 16 weeks and their progress will be reviewed at key points.
Please click the link below for more detailed information -
Wales National Exercise Referral Scheme - Public Health Wales (nhs.wales)
Healthy Merthyr Tydfil
We work with other GP Practices within Merthyr Tydfil to form a Primary Care Cluster to support approximately 60,000 patients in the area.
Alongside community and social care, the cluster's primary aim is to co-ordinate our healthcare services in Merthyr Tydfil and ensure we are providing the best treatment, advice and support for you.
The cluster is made up of dedicated healthcare professionals, including community and district nurses, midwives, health visitors, mental health teams, health promotion teams, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, phlebotomists, paramedics, social services and other local authority staff.
We have created the Healthy Merthyr Website to provide advice , support & signpost you to local services available and is available at - Merthyr Tydfil Primary Care Cluster
A full directory of what's available is accessible here -
Healthcare Directory (healthymerthyr.co.uk)