£6m fund to boost health schemes
Food bank and diabetes services to benefit
Health services in Kent and Medway will receive nearly £6 million to tackle various health conditions including asthma and diabetes.
NHS England is giving the county’s four Health and Care Partnerships (HCPs) a total of £4.75 million, while a further £1.1 million will go towards county-wide schemes.
With nearly £2 million for six projects, East Kent HCP will be the biggest recipient of the grant, with a diabetes clinic aimed at helping those suffering both physically and mentally with the illness.
More than £1 million will go to West Kent HCP, which intends to use some of this money to address food insecurity through the continued provision of Shepway Community Larder. The service, which opened in Maidstone last December, supports around 300 people a month by providing fresh food and groceries for a £3 donation.
Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley’s HCP will receive £670,000 to fund a project to increase uptake of its obesity, diabetes, cancer screening and respiratory services. Meanwhile, Medway and Swale’s HCP will benefit from funding for six of its projects,
with attention focused on tackling asthma for those from poorer backgrounds, as well as services designed to help families eat more healthily and lose weight.
All four HCPs will also reap the benefits of Hypertension Heroes – an initiative funded by the NHS to help people get their blood pressure checked without having to make an appointment with a GP. Free drop-in sessions run at various locations around the county offering blood pressure readings and teaching people how to monitor their own blood pressure at home.
Kent and Medway NHS Integrated Care Board chief executive Paul Bentley said the funding will help those suffering
from a number of illnesses. “I’m very pleased to be able to support these exciting and innovative projects that focus on tackling the wider determinants of health,” he said.
“Funding for these initiatives allows us to continue to listen to communities with curiosity and work with them to design, implement and evaluate interventions that provide the solutions they need.
“Shepway Community Larder is an outstanding example of this, and it demonstrates what can be achieved when people are involved in the design and delivery of a health intervention, as well as when partners from across health, local authorities and business work together.”