The future of North Kensington health and wellbeing

Published on: Tuesday 28 May 2019

We are asking residents in the North Kensington area affected by the Grenfell tragedy what services are needed in the next few years so they can help shape a new Health and Wellbeing strategy for the community as we move forward.

The strategy will aim to support existing services to continue but will also progress new services as health needs evolve over time. The report will bring feedback from the community together with clinical and international evidence and it is in this context that the NHS is proposing to focus on delivering services in the following areas:

  • Self-care and social prescribing
  • Primary health services with access to specialist services when needed
  • Emotional support and wellbeing
  • Services for children and young people
  • Dedicated service

Invest in a universal self-care, developed in collaboration with the local community which supports local people to improve their health and wellbeing.

Provide primary health care services that give individuals and families proactive health promotion, diagnosis and disease management, with more accessible primary healthcare services

Actively promote emotional wellbeing for now and the future and provide care for emotional distress, supporting the community to [re-build] their lives.

For survivors of the fire and bereaved families and individuals we will join up care to best support the long-term improved health and wellbeing of those most affected by the tragedy.

Community Engagement so far

Our engagement so far has combined a mixture of in-depth conversation, surveys and meetings and over 1,000 comments were captured. We have listened to the priority areas that local residents advised they would like us to focus on, and have developed the following themes:

Themes

Priority areas

Understand and reflect the unique and dynamic needs of a population affected by disaster in the services we offer.

  • Help people manage their long-term conditions which may have worsened due to displacement and stress Use knowledge of how disasters impact on communities to support local diverse communities.
  • Address emerging and or new health needs that may be identified in the near future.
  • Focus on the entire family; so they can heal together.
  • Respect the importance of faith, ethnicity, culture and gender in healthcare
  • Reach more vulnerable groups who may not actively seek out our services.
  • Give people the knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence they need to lead independent and healthy lives
  • Work with community, voluntary and faith groups to equip and empower them to support and assist the community.
  • Promote health and wellbeing services better so people know exactly what help is available and where.

Services must cater for the needs of a diverse local community

  • Respect the importance of faith, ethnicity, culture and gender in healthcare
  • Reach more vulnerable groups who may not actively seek out our services.

Provide information and support to patients which promotes and enables self-care and community resilience

  • Give people the knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence they need to lead independent and healthy lives
  • Work with community, voluntary and faith groups to equip and empower them to support and assist the community.
  • Promote health and wellbeing services better so people know exactly what help is available and where.


We want to hear from the community at this stage, to ensure our initial findings are reflected as intended, before the strategy is published. We’d be happy to hear from you if you have any comments or feedback on the above or wish to discuss further, email grenfell.response@nhs.net.

Alongside the strategy a ‘Cultural Competency Framework’ is being developed, to ensure services meet the needs of the diverse population of North Kensington and are delivered in a culturally responsive manner, coming soon.