Could changing the way you talk about physical activity unlock new NHS partnerships?
The physical activity sector has a lot to offer public health. We support people to be more active, manage health conditions, improve mental health and much more. The problem is that we don’t always talk about it or demonstrate impact in a way that resonates with NHS decision-makers.
Take NHS England’s Core20PLUS5 framework. Designed to reduce health inequalities, the framework focuses attention on the 20% most deprived communities nationally, alongside locally identified groups experiencing poorer health outcomes and five key clinical priorities, including mental illness, cancer, hypertension and respiratory disease.
Most of our operator clients are already delivering services that support the Core20PLUS5 priorities, but if they don’t specifically refer to it when talking to healthcare partners, they risk missing opportunities because commissioners don’t recognise the value they’re delivering.
Instead of talking about ‘exercise classes for older adults’, operators could talk about supporting prevention, reducing falls risk, improving functional ability and helping people maintain independence – all outcomes that align with NHS objectives.
This shows how their services contribute to national priorities and means they are more likely to be perceived as health and wellness partners, rather than leisure providers.
Learning from Oldham Active
Our partner, Oldham Active, celebrates the 20th anniversary of its REACH (Referrals Encouraging Activity, Confidence and Health) exercise referral programme this year.
Using ReferAll to support their data management, Oldham Active has supported almost 4,000 people to become more active and better manage their health.
“From the outset we had to demonstrate our value to the NHS and healthcare professionals referring into the programme,” says Jason Bailey, Health and Wellbeing Officer at Oldham Active.
That meant evidencing impact through performance reports, participant outcomes and personal testimonials, while meeting the same governance standards expected by NHS partners, including GDPR, Caldicott principles and data protection.
This evidence helped create a seamless pathway for patients moving from clinical care into a community setting.
Bailey believes other providers can sometimes undersell their contribution to healthcare by failing to communicate in terms that resonate with NHS commissioners.
“There are excellent cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation exercise schemes being delivered across the country, but if providers aren’t working closely with the NHS or reporting against the outcomes commissioners are looking for, they won’t develop the same understanding of NHS priorities or demonstrate the full value of what they’re delivering,” he says.
“By using NHS language rather than leisure sector terminology, REACH keeps a high profile when it comes to continued grant funding.”
More than words
Wave Active, another ReferAll customer, has also spent years building partnerships with the healthcare sector by positioning itself as a health and wellbeing provider.
“We need to be more aware of the language we use if we want to appeal to a broader community base, particularly when trying to inspire those with health conditions, injury, illness or those who have been inactive for a period of time,” says CEO Duncan Kerr.
Instead of words like ‘fitness’ or ‘leisure’ journey that can create barriers, Wave Active focuses on person centric and meaningful interactions specific to each individual.
This shift in thinking is reflected in the way the organisation demonstrates its impact. Wave Active’s latest impact report includes stories of members’ health journeys and the difference its services have made to the local community rather than focusing solely on traditional measures like usage figures.
“The NHS wants evidence that what you’re doing actually works, not only how many people came through the door or how much revenue has been generated,” says Kerr.
“We want to monitor people’s health over time so we can demonstrate the long-term impact of being part of Wave Active. That’s much more aligned with the NHS’s evidence-based approach.”
Operators probably don’t need to change what they do, just the way they talk about it. Changing the language they use could mean the difference between being viewed as a leisure provider and accepted as a heath partner.
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