As Care Coordinators, our role is to support people in our local community with non-clinical aspects of their health. We are based throughout GP surgeries within the Three Valley’s Primary Care Network. We work closely with our health care professionals, local community services and national agencies with the aim to improve people’s wellbeing.

We have teamed up with The Carers’ Centre to look at what support is needed for our local caring community.

Through our role as Care Coordinators, we are aware that informal carers can often put the health needs of their cared for before their own, we wanted to provide an opportunity for them to get health and social support all in one place.

We have decided to pilot a drop-in session that would easily be accessible for people in our local area, as we know travelling to Bath, Keynsham or Bristol can be a challenge for some people.

Our first drop-in session will take place at The Hive Community Centre in Peasedown St John on Friday, 20th January from 10am to 12 noon. There will be free refreshments, access to the support team from the Carers Centre along with NHS healthcare professionals for a health check.

We hope that people attending will come away with the knowledge about the support that’s available to them and how to access it. We are keen to encourage positive supporting relationships between GP surgeries and our local communities. If successful, then we hope to be able to host further drop-in sessions at other locations across the Three Valley’s Primary Network.

The Three Valleys Primary Care Network is a group of nine GP practices, working with others, with the aim of improving health and wellbeing and addressing health inequalities in the Southwest. Please visit the website for morning information: Primary Care Network http://www.threevalleyshealthhealth.co.uk/ | Three Valleys Health PCN The Carers’ Centre | Supporting those looking after someone (banescarerscentre.org.uk) The Hive Community Centre (thehivepsj.org)