What we do?
Marjon Health and Wellbeing teamed up with Devon Doctors to secure grant funding from the Health Foundation to deliver a new and innovative shared medical appointments project.
Located at Ernesettle Health Centre, shared medical appointments are a ground-breaking approach centred on group appointments, rather than individual GP consultations. A shared medical appointment brings medical aspects and non-medical aspects (known as person-centred health coaching) together into a joint consultation. We’re exploring whether this approach can help patients who use opioid medication to better manage chronic pain and take more control over their condition.
How do we do it?
The consultations are jointly led by GP Dr Ed Parry Jones and Marjon Health Coach Sam Vaughan. Every patient has an individual consultation with the GP as usual but the learning is also shared with the other patients. This is followed by a co-hosted health and wellbeing session, led by the Health Coach, focusing on topics of interests to the patients.
The sessions are active and we provide advice and facilitate interactive discussions between all participants in the session, who benefit from peer support and shared learning.
We want to help GPs and their patients to improve their health and wellbeing by implementing efficient, effective and sustainable methods for treating complex long-term conditions.
When: Shared medical appointments will be issued by Ernesettle Health Centre.
Where: Ernesettle Health Centre
Dr Saul Bloxman has a PhD in Exercise Physiology and is the founder of Marjon Health & Wellbeing, to empower people to make healthy lifestyle choices, by learning together in supported non-medical settings.
This project is a collaboration between Marjon Health and Wellbeing, Evalesco Consulting, Ernesettle Health Centre, Devon Doctors and The Health Foundation.
“ "With all those in attendance dealing with the same complex issues, there’s a likelihood any advice given to one member of the group will also be of benefit to others.” Dr Ed Parry-Jones
"I’m really excited to be working on this project. Not everyone gets the opportunity to be a part of something as innovative and exciting as this. We’re trying out a new approach to medical appointments which, if we can make it work, could have an NHS-wide impact." Sam Vaughan, Clinic Lead.“