Sarah Barge

1
Sarah Barge

• Projects Officer Health and Fitness
• Birmingham City Council

2
Exercise on Prescription

• Started in 1994
• 13 leisure centres, 14 staff
• Approx 250 new patients referred each month
• 18 000 people since 1994
• Huge choice of activities

3
The Scheme

• GP / Practice Nurse refers patient
• ?
• Consultation with Health and Fitness Advisor
• ?
• Free Fitness Appraisal (optional)
• ?
• Patient completes individually tailored exercise
  programme
• (all receive 10 x 1.00 off vouchers support
  guidance and motivation from the Health Fitness
  Advisor)
• ?
• Consultation with Health Fitness Advisor (inc.
  fitness appraisal)
• ? ?
• Option for referral programme Patient
  continues
• (Back to Stage 2) on their own

4
Some Statistics

• April 2005 March 2006
• Target was to have 2700 new patients
• 3040 new patients were referred (112.5)
• approx 21 women men ratio
• Wide variety of ethnic origin backgrounds which
  closely reflect the local community

5
Data collected

• Collect data on smoking, reason for referral,
  disability, BMI, changes in BMI etc.
• Each PCT gets a quarterly report on EOP in their
  area.

6
Successes

• Keeping going for 12 years
• Consistently having more patients signed up
  than target levels (at 125 capacity this year)
• Every GP surgery in the city can refer patients
  (approx 230 surgeries, 570 GPs)

7
Challenges

• Short term funding
• NICE guidelines
• Being focused on objectives
• Funding training for staff

8
Contact Details

• Sarah Barge
• House of Sport
• 300 Broad Street
• Birmingham B1 2DR
• T 0121 464 6056
• F 0121 464 6035
• E sarah_barge_at_birmingham.gov.uk
• W www.birmingham.gov.uk/eop