Birmingham OwnHealth signs up 5,000

Birmingham OwnHealth, a telephone-based care management programme, has announced that it has signed up its 5,000th member.

The pioneering programme has been running since 2006, offering one-to-one support and advice to people with long term conditions, and is run in a partnership between NHS Birmingham North and East, UK Pfizer Health Solutions and NHS Direct.

The service is open to people in Birmingham north and east with an LTC such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, high blood pressure, stroke or chronic kidney disease, and to those aged over 65 who would like help with a range of conditions.

Patients who join the programme work with a designated care manager over the telephone to help manage their condition, make changes to their lifestyle and learn about treatments, medicines and services.

Caroline Nolan, divisional director for strategy and redesign at the primary care trust, said feedback was showing that the programme is improving the health of those who took part.

She added: “Evidence shows that they have made positive changes to their lifestyles, reduced their weight and improved their cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose levels and they report they don’t need to go to their GP or hospital as often.”

Earlier this year, the programme said it was working to the rough rule of thumb that one admission was avoided for every five patients.

It said results for admissions as a whole showed it was doing well compared to its neighbours with admission numbers not increasing as they were in other nearby PCTs.

Nolan said the programme was now working towards its next milestone of signing up 10,000 active members.