Our partners
We now have a number of delivery partners that we work with who deliver the Freshwell Low Carb Programme. The following organisations are currently delivering our programme with the help of their health and well-being coaching teams.
We started the Freshwell Low Carb Project to help our practice population adopt healthier lifestyles. Initially, as GPs, we were only managing to recommend a low carb lifestyle opportunistically tacked on to the end of our already very squeezed ten minute appointments. The task of building a healthier population is huge. We started to see some spectacular individual success stories, but we soon realised that we were barely scratching the surface.
As a result, we began to develop a number of free digital resources (for example, this website, our app and meal planners) to help our patients learn how to improve their lifestyle.
When we joined our local practices in the Colne Valley Primary Network, this was a great opportunity to expand our team by employing a dedicated low carb health and wellbeing coach. Not only does our health and wellbeing coach have more time than us to help, but they have also been able to help patients from all six practices.
Health and wellbeing coaches can support people either 1:1 or in groups. They can use their experience and expertise to help people set goals, motivate them, provide accountability, cheer them along the way and much more.
The Colne Valley Primary Network comprises:
- Elizabeth Courtauld Surgery (Halstead)
- Pump House Surgery (Earls Colne)
- Freshwell Health Centre (Finchingfield)
- Hedingham Medical Centre
- Kelvedon and Feering Health Centre
- Coggeshall Surgery
Find out more here if you are a patient of any of these practices.
Together with our health and wellbeing coach, we developed a structured education programme, which is centred around our video modules.
In December 2022, we were delighted to hear that the Colne Valley PCN was accredited with the quality standard, QIS 2020 for its delivery of the Freshwell low carb programme. This is the “gold standard” for the self-management education sector. QISMET developed this universal standard to assure the delivery of consistently high quality self-management programmes for all types of provision. Our programme was accredited for delivering structured education on: weight management, pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. You can read the report here if you are really keen!
In March 2023, the Freshwell Low Carb Programme resources were accredited for use throughout the NHS by QISMET for use throughout the NHS. This means that they have been certified as compliant with the NICE guidelines on what is required for a structured education programme regarding type 2 diabetes, prediabetes and weight management.
One of our neighbouring Primary Care Networks in Essex, the Witham & Maldon PCN, replicated our programme in their area and now have their own health and wellbeing coaching team to help deliver the Freshwell low carb programme to their patients.
PROVIDE / Essex Wellbeing Services have also recently become delivery partners for our low carb programme . If you are overweight and live anywhere in Essex (excluding Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock) then you may be able to sign up for our programme and get the valuable support of their health and wellbeing coaches.
Hastings and St Leonards Primary Care Network are offering our programme in their area, with their own health & well-being coach working together with their pharmacist lead to deliver peer support sessions using the Freshwell low carb programme to their patients. Please contact their coach by emailing lowcarbcoaching.hstlpcn@nhs.net for further information and how to get involved.
