Health trainers professional service launch

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Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust (PCT) is launching the new Rochdale Borough Wide NHS Health Trainer Service to the general public during December 2007.

In anticipation of this event, a special ‘Health Trainers Professional Service Launch’ will be held on Tuesday 27 November 2007 at Rochdale Town Hall (Great Hall).

Health care professionals attending will include practice nurses, community nurses, dentists, pharmacists and Surestart workers. Also scheduled to attend the launch are Mayor Peter Evans and Mayoress Helen Evans.

Recruited from local communities within the Borough of Rochdale, the Health Trainers have been specially trained to support the PCTs commitment to The Public Health White Paper “Choosing Health: Making Healthier Choices Easier”.

Angela Aitken, Health Trainers Programme Manager, said: “There are lots of ways that the Health Trainers will be able to work in partnership with other professionals to help people lead healthier lifestyles.

“The main role of a Health Trainer is to signpost people to appropriate services and to give them the support they need to access those services. That is why we are bringing the trainers together with other professionals, to help them find out how they can best work together.”

One of the goals of the Health Trainers is to reach those people who have a high probability of future medical problems by virtue of their current lifestyle status and who want to adopt healthier lifestyles, but who have little contact with services. By working in partnership with health care providers and other professionals, Health Trainers can:

• Support local people to make healthier choices easier.
• Signpost people to appropriate services.
• Promote healthier lifestyles to local people in the most need.
• Support local people to attend appointments and groups.
• Work with clients on a one-to-one basis.

Health Trainers will be on hand at the launch to discuss their roles, and will be available to answer questions and provide information on how they can be contacted.