The Chair of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and the First Minister for Scotland visited Oakwood Medical Practice earlier this week to find out more about the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund in Primary Care Programme. This initiative aims to provide vital support to vulnerable families facing complex challenges, such as poverty, housing issues, and past trauma.
This programme provides a primary care element of the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund, a Scottish Government initiative to reduce inequalities and support families in crisis. Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) has been allocated £3.7m for 2024-26 to deliver the programme in 12 Deep End GP Practice areas with the aim of addressing needs of families, ultimately working towards eradicating child poverty and reducing health inequalities.
Dr Anthony McMahon, GP Principal at Oakwood Medical Practice, expressed his enthusiasm for the project during this visit. He noted, “The Family Wellbeing Worker is a support worker for vulnerable families embedded within general practice.
“They are there to help those families who are suffering with issues such as poverty, housing, past trauma, and provide a wrap-around service to help improve the wellbeing and health of the family involved.”
This innovative role involves a Family Wellbeing Worker who is present at the GP practice to assist families. Dr McMahon explained, “Usually, the person presents to the GP first, either as the parent or the child presenting with a medical problem. We can identify that most of what is going on isn’t medical, and it’s other needs that need to be met.”
The project aims to ensure that families receive the comprehensive support they require to improve both their health outcomes and overall quality of life.
The benefits of this initiative are already beginning to emerge. He highlighted that the support provided can enhance various aspects of family life, from improving living conditions to increasing engagement in community activities and education.
“There’s a recent example of a young person who has applied for college and got an interview,” he shared, underscoring the positive impact of the project on educational opportunities.
Dr McMahon hopes that, “over the long term, this really improves the lives of vulnerable families. That they can have a better life.”
Dr Lesley Thomson KC, NHSGGC Chair, said, “I was delighted to be part of the FM visit to Oakwood Medical practice in Easterhouse.
“It was extremely informative and uplifting to hear from Dr McMahon and all those involved at the practice in making a difference to the lives of families in this work overseen by the Glasgow City HSCP.
“All primary care staff play such a vital role in helping our patients get the right care in the right place, and the collaborative working under the initiative ensures all those factors which impact on health and wellbeing are addressed in a cohesive way to the benefit of families and communities.”
Ahead of the visit, First Minister John Swinney emphasised the importance of access to healthcare services, stating, “Scotland’s GP practices are right at the heart of our communities where they help local people and their families on a daily basis. We recognise them as trusted and established services providing crucial medical advice and care.
“It is precisely this trust that means GP surgeries can be places where people start to get a wider variety of help that will them allow overcome the challenges of everyday life, tackle poverty and address further risks to their health and wellbeing.”
