Introducing our two newest HITS: ACE and BABCON

From adverse childhood experiences to bladder and bowel confidence, our latest HITs will be tackling a range of challenges.

Two new Health Integration Teams (HITs) received the go ahead from the Bristol Health Partners Executive Group and they will each be covering very different areas.

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) HIT will be focused on adverse childhood experiences and the Bladder and Bowel Confidence (BABCON) HIT will be looking at ways to improve bladder and bowel continence care.

The work of both HITs will cover the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire area.

Adverse Childhood Experiences Health Integration Team (ACE HIT)

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are negative experiences in early life and childhood, such as abuse, neglect and domestic violence, that can have an impact on health and wellbeing throughout life.

Local partners across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire have already been working together to develop and approach to prevent ACE and to mitigate their immediate and long-term impacts. Their work will be developed further through the HIT.

The ACE HIT is led by Dr Jacqui Jensen (Executive Director, People (DCS), Bristol City Council), Prof John Macleod (Director of NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West and Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Primary Care, University of Bristol) and Dr Jo Williams (Consultant in Public Health, Children and Young People, Bristol City Council).

For more information about the ACE HIT, click here.

To sign up for the ACE HIT newsletter, click here.

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Bladder and Bowel Confidence Health Integration Team (BABCON HIT)

The BABCON HIT will look at the often unspoken topic of bladder and bowel continence. The HIT aims to identify areas of improvement within the entire health and social care system approach to bladder and bowel continence care.

The team is led by Dr Nikki Cotterill (Associate Professor in Continence Care, University of West of England and Continence Lead, North Bristol Trust), Dr Marcus Drake (Urologist and Professor of Physiological Urology, North Bristol Trust and University of Bristol), Dr Kathryn McCarthy (Colorectal Surgeon, North Bristol Trust) and Dr Paul Abrams (Professor of Urology, University of Bristol, Consultant Urological Surgeon, North Bristol Trust and Chair of the International Consultation on Incontinence).

“The topic of bladder and bowel incontinence can be a real challenge for people to address and our Health Integration Team (HIT) is looking to break down those barriers. We are delighted to have the support of Bristol Health Partners as we continue our work to improve research, education and the provision of continence care. We will also look at wider issues such as self-help and environmental factors to improve symptoms of incontinence where possible, or ensuring individuals live as well as they can with incontinence,” said Dr Nikki Cotterill, BABCON HIT Director.

For all the latest news, follow the BABCON HIT on Twitter: @babconHIT

“We are delighted that two new Health Integration Teams (HITs), ACE and BABCON, have been added to the Bristol Health Partners portfolio. Although the focuses of the teams are very different, they are both tackling challenging and important areas of health and social care. We look forward to supporting them in their work in the upcoming year,” said Lisa King, Chief Operating Officer at Bristol Health Partners.