The Life Channel Comes to Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale

A dedicated health channel will broadcast important public health messages in the waiting rooms of clinics and GP surgeries across Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale.

Flat screen TVs have been installed into 70% of GP practices in the Borough which equates to 140,000 registered patients who access healthcare advice from their local surgery, whilst thousands more visit the PCT clinics and health centres.

Patients will be able to gather information regarding their local health services as well watching national campaigns aimed at educating people to maintain their health and fitness.

90% of patients visit their GP at least once a year and the Life Channel will enable the PCT to target this captive audience. This new improved technology allows the PCT all members of our community with messages that meet their specific health needs.

Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale have varying populations and extremely diverse communities where many health inequalities exist. The Life Channel will help us tailor messages for each location, crucial in ensuring we contact hard to reach groups.

Dr Sheila Will, Director of Public Health for the Borough says: “Rochdale is an area with some of the highest incidences of heart disease, cancer and other smoking related illnesses as well as the problems that come form a poor diet. We believe the Life Channel can significantly contribute to the primary prevention of the many chronic illnesses experienced across the Borough.

“The NHS is placing greater emphasis on prevention as well as ensuring high quality treatment. Key to improving health is educating the local population to take the responsibility for their own health by ensuring that healthy choices are easy choices.

“We have been looking for new ways of providing information, in the right way and at the right time to as wide a cross-section of the local population as possible. The Life Channel will help us to do this.”

Phil Austin, Managing Director of the Life Channel adds: “We are delighted that Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT have adopted The Life Channel as part of their preventative amp; educational strategy.

“This initiative - the first of it's kind in the Greater Manchester area - will enable the PCT to reach right into the heart of every community across the Borough.

“The significance of using The Life Channel is that for an average of 20 minutes, patients watch The Life Channel because it contains a range of relevant health and wellbeing content presented in a friendly and accessible way, which means they are engaged and disposed to viewing key healthcare messages in the trusted environment of their local GP practice."

TASK Stop Smoking Service and The Expert Patient Programme are the first to take this opportunity to promote their self referral services direct to the local community, raise the profile of the service and educate a wide section of the community about the effects of smoking and the benefits of self help.

These 'adverts' specially produced for The Life Channel will be broadcasting in a surgery near you for two months throughout December and the New Year with more to follow.