Extra £600k funding for GP practices in Sheffield

NHS Sheffield clinical commissioning group has given GP practices £600,000 as part of the CCG’s primary care transformation fund.

The practices are working together in different groups known as ‘neighbourhoods’ to support the needs of their local residents.

The money is in addition to £718,000 the CCG awarded to neighbourhoods last year.

Dr Anthony Gore, CCG clinical director for care outside of hospital and a GP at Sheffield’s Woodseats Medical Centre, said: “Our aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of people across Sheffield by commissioning more care and support into neighbourhoods, closer to where people live.

“By investing this money, our neighbourhoods can start working to achieve this, particularly tailoring services to meet the specific needs of their local residents.”

The money will be used to fund a number of projects including supporting young people with mental health and emotional wellbeing advice, early intervention for mental health illnesses in teenagers and adolescents, identifying reasons for early deaths in those aged 25-39, improving the lives of people with dementia, social prescribing and tackling loneliness and reducing isolation in older people.

Upper Don Valley is one of the neighbourhood areas to receive funding.

Dr Ruth Izard, Upper Don Valley neighbourhood clinical director and a GP at Oughtibridge Surgery, said, “We are thrilled to have received this money which will see us working with a number of community organisations across our neighbourhood, including health and social care, education and leisure, to offer mental health and emotional wellbeing advice to young people aged 13-25 living in Oughtibridge, Deepcar, Stocksbridge and Wharncliffe Side.

“Teenage and young adulthood is a pivotal point in an individual’s life and can be fraught with challenges and difficulties. We hope, by increasing the number of young people exercising, using leisure facilities and attending face-to-face social groups and drop-in sessions, it will improve young people’s health and wellbeing as well as reducing loneliness and social isolation.”