HITs with a focus on healthy, safe environments get together for a networking breakfast

On Wednesday 3 October, Health Integration Teams (HITs) with a focus on healthy, safe environments got together for a networking breakfast at Lifeskills at the CREATE Centre in South Bristol.

This was an opportunity for HITs to explore overlapping areas of work and interest, and possible collaboration, around healthy, safe environments. The day started with a presentation from Rebecca Kandiyali and Joel Glynn, both health economists at the University of Bristol. They challenged the people there to think about how health economics could help their HIT.

Following a bit of speed networking and updates on Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) Clinical Commissioning Group and Healthier Together, the BNSSG Sustainability and Transformation Partnership, everyone got to enjoy a tour of Lifeskills.

Lifeskills is an organisation providing support for independent living. Their centre offers an exciting and memorable environment in which to learn, especially for those who are more vulnerable to injury, such as children or older people. By taking part in activities in their realistic scenarios, which include houses, a road, shop, dark alleyway, a river and a railway line, visitors can actually experience difficult or dangerous situations in a safe environment and learn how to deal with them.

Around 20 people from nine HITs came along, including:

• Active People: Promoting Healthy Life Expectancy (APPHLE)
• Dementia
• Parkinson’s and Other Movement Disorders (MOVE hit)
• Supporting Healthy Inclusive Neighbourhood Environments (SHINE)
• Stroke
• Bristol Bones and Joints
• Avoiding Hospital Admissions (ITHAcA)
• Child Injury (CIPIC)

Trish Harding, Evaluation Officer at Bristol Health Partners and one of the organisers of the breakfast, said:

“The people who came along had a very stimulating morning. It was wonderful to bring together HIT members in such a relevant and engaging space. Lifeskills was the perfect location for this event and I hope it leads to further collaboration between Lifeskills, who are already a member of CIPIC, and other HITs. Thanks to Rebecca and Joel for a stimulating presentation on health economics, and to Andy Townsend for showing us around Lifeskills with such infectious enthusiasm.”

Andy Townsend demonstrates the night simulation on the Lifeskills road

Zoe, a member of SHINE HIT, takes in a display explaining the difference between legal and illegal drugs

Thankfully no real danger of death at the Lifeskills substation!