Meet Matt, he is a Health and Wellbeing Coach for the Medway South Primary Care Network. Matt has been working in primary care for a year and a half, previously working in education. Watch to learn more about what his role includes and the benefits this brings to patients and practices.
Transcript:
I am Matt Charles, I'm a Health & Wellbeing Coach for the Medway South Primary Care Network (PCN)
What is your career journey?
I have worked in primary care for a year and a half now, it is something I never considered working in before. I have come from a career working in the press and secondary education. Transitioning into this role , in primary care and in a GP surgery has been a real eye-opener; it is an experience I never thought I'd have. But the training that I was given to do my role, provided by my employer, a 4-day accredited course with supervision gave me the skills I needed to do my job.
What motivated you to work in Primary Care?
I have always wanted to help people of any age, background or circumstance, this has always been the binding thread for what I wanted to do. This particular role has been interesting for me because not only do I get to carry on working with young people, I also get to work with adults which is lovely, as it gives me an opportunity to work with those people who just need that starting point. These people need someone to give them that 1-1 support that enables them to make changes and improvements to their health and wellbeing, whilst firmly looking at what they can do for themselves. That feeling of someone having that light bulb moment, in terms of finding something they have been seeking for so long, it is really inspiring and I feel very privileged in that regard.
What does your role entail?
On a day to day basis I am often seeing patients face to face in the surgery, up to 1 hour at a time. We get that time to really explore what it is they want to achieve in terms of their health and wellbeing, their ambitions, what they might already be doing to meet those ambitions and help them identify new areas and goals. A typical day for me will involve seeing 5-6 patients in a single session, they may need support with better managing a health condition or just want help with making lifestyle changes. We offer six initial sessions to each patient and these can last for up to 6 months. Alongside this, we manage our own case loads so there is admin work to be completed. We accept different forms of referrals with people in-house, if you are a healthcare professional within the PCN you can refer to the team. The team also complete outreach work as well; reaching out to those who may not have visited a GP surgery in a while or may not know they need the support. I work with 2 other colleagues in the PCN, so I meet with them and we think about the support we can give to the wider area, alongside our case loads.
How does your role benefit the patients?
My role benefits the patients in a number of different ways, one of the questions I will ask is "what do you want to achieve out of this?". So from the very first conversation, we get that opportunity to explore what is important to them and how they want to achieve it. For some patients it is about being healthier, such as bringing their cholesterol level down, with others it may be about feeling a stronger sense of identity, our objective is to make sure they walk out of the door with a goal they can do something about. It benefits them, in whatever way they feel they need.
How well supported are you at your practice?
Very. I have been so well supported by the PCN and the GP surgery, colleagues are always here if I have any questions on medication, systems, because I have no medical training. But patients say that it has enabled me to the bridge a gap. The project is run in collaboration with Medway Council, so we have the backing of the Public Health team, a brilliant team of different services. On a personal or professional level, I have been incredibly well supported.
What are your career plans in the future?
At the moment, I am enjoying what I'm doing, I am getting the opportunity to work with adults and young people, so I am getting the opportunity to work with people who are appreciative of that help and lots of opportunities to train and develop my own skillset. Right now I am happy with what I'm doing and I think I will remain that way as long as I can still get that feeling that I do when a patient walks out and I think 'wow, I am either glad to have met that person and I really appreciate them being so honest with me' or they tell me about the changes they are making and that feels good.
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