Sheffield Hospitals long covid health inequalities work shortlisted for award
Efforts to tackle health inequalities as part of a service that supports long covid patients have been recognised with an award nomination.
Kate Kontou, Clinical Programme Manager for the Long Covid Hub at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has been shortlisted for the Public Health Champion Award in the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (CAHPO) Awards 2023.
Kate and the team undertook a service review which identified that people from areas of higher deprivation were less likely to be referred to the long covid hub, and developed a health inequalities action plan.
The team provided training to GPs and undertook community engagement with GPs and Healthwatch to inform people about the long covid service.
Since then referrals from areas of deprivation have increased, enabling the new service users to receive support in managing their long covid symptoms and signposting to further support where this may be beneficial, for example smoking cessation, food banks, alcohol support and housing services.
Kate said: “I am delighted to have been shortlisted. The team have really embraced a different way of doing things - not just being happy with seeing those who come through the door, but going out and finding those that don’t.”
The CAHPO Awards take place on 12th October 2023.
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