020 8770 0172

Our peer support workers are available to support people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or other psychosis to get their annual physical health checks.  People with these conditions often find it difficult to keep up to date  with regular physical check-ups, but these are especially important when taking long term medications. 

At SMHF we have agreed protocols and procedures, endorsed by Data Protection Officer at the CCG, to make sure confidentiality and data security is maintained, and all our Peer support workers are trained in data security.   

Our peer support workers work in the practice and with practice staff to target the people who most need support to be seen.  They will then contact people and seek to engage them and help them make an appointment.  Peer support workers can also support people with follow up appointments if needed. 

Having a peer support worker engage with often hard to reach patients can be reassuring and can help unpick some of the difficulties people have in attending.  Peer support workers come at this from their own lived experience, and can both empathise and share tips and strategies that they have found useful.  This reassurance can be the key to getting people to attend, and our pilot success rates are promising, with 66% of those contacted at one practice attending for their appointments. 

If you would be interested in finding out more about this project, or would like your practice to take part, please fill out the form below and we will get back to you.