RED

The name is BoND.....

Our colleagues in Bolton are moving ahead apace with developing the joint ideas for self-management in diabetes. The BoND team at the Bolton Diabetes Network have been driving this forward, with support from across the NHS in Bolton and from other partners and 15 GP's surgeries signed up for the trial. Plans for rolling out a pilot of the diabetes agenda cards are now on the verge of going live with the goal of getting initial results in March 2007, with hopes for identifying a wider roll-out of the cards and trainers from summer 2007.

Jude | LINK | HEALTH | COMMENTS (0)

activmobs are go!

Those of you who have been following the RED Health project will know that we have been working with Kent County Council in developing the activmobs concept into a live service. We have built a team to provide support, with involvement from experts in social software and social enterprises. Kent have defined initial focus locations and are starting to build networks of motivators and trainers â€“ if you are in the area and would like to get involved contact RED for more details. Itâ€™s exciting to see this getting of the ground and we will post updates on progress as we move forward!

Jude | LINK | HEALTH | COMMENTS (1)

PM embraces healthy living

RED set an ambitious agenda last year for healthy living. We set out to help people live well with diabetes and live active lifestyles as they grew older. Last week the PM made a speech embracing this agenda committing the government to action to tackle our unhealthy lifestyles. This is really welcome. Well done TB!

Matthew Horne | LINK | AGEING + HEALTH + HEALTH PROJECT + PUBLIC SERVICES | COMMENTS (0)

See your doctor on the hight street

Chemist giant Boots wants to introduce GPs and hospital consultants into its stores as part of the drive to bring the NHS to the high street. Apparently Boots is offereing to rent space in its own stores to GPs. RED thinks that this innovation seems like a good idea - making GPs more accessible and more convenient for consumers. But it will not create the long term relationships between doctors and patients that are necessary to tackle the really big healthcare challenges like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and depression.

Matthew Horne | LINK | HEALTH + HEALTH PROJECT | COMMENTS (0)

Healthy Holidays

Sense worldwide tell us about the growing inclination of the Japanese for Medical Tourism - travel packages that combine treatment with fun and relaxing activities.

Japanese consumers' have a growing inclination to choose travel packages that combine medical checkups or treatment with fun and relaxing activities.

A typical package involves the traveller being given an extensive medical checkup at a hospital before enjoying a relaxing and therapeutic stay at a hot spring resort. One such package is the "hot doc" plan offered at the Yubara Onsen resort in Okayama, where travellers are first given a general medical checkup along with any optional tests they have chosen, such as abdominal ultrasounds or respiratory tests. Trained staff then prime them on the fundamentals of using hot springs for therapeutic benefit....Hotels are marketing a similar service that combines a medical checkup with accommodation......Industry analysts predict that medical tourism will be an increasingly important element of the travel industry, because people's awareness of the importance of preventative health and their willingness to spend time and money on it are likely to continue to grow.

Chris Vanstone | LINK | HEALTH | COMMENTS (0)

Design for play

According to the BBC, researchers at the University of the West of England will use design techniques to reduce childhood obesity by encouraging regular play and activity in outdoor spaces.
Professor Lamine Mahdjoubi from the faculty of the built environment said "We are going to explore the potential of creative design in outdoor public spaces to promote healthy and inclusive environments for the young people of the 21st Century."

Jude | LINK | HEALTH | COMMENTS (0)

Redesigning school dinners - an idea for Jamie

An idea for Jamie Oliver, from our work on redesigning school dinners in Surrey: What if school kitchens cooked not only school dinners but also prepared suppers? Imagine a reverse lunchbox, taken home to feed the family. The meals would be made in the time that school kitchens are currently unused and encourage healthy eating at home and school. The extra revenue would subsidise the 37p-a-head budget.

Chris Vanstone | LINK | AGRICULTURE AND FOOD + HEALTH | COMMENTS (0)

Is health-consciousness making us sick?

"The unintended consequence of fully engaging people with their health is an invitation to morbidity, which values health as an end in itself" - Professor Mike Bury was among the speakers at a conference: "Health: An unhealthy obsession?" hosted by the Institute of Ideas on 12 February. Professor Bury claims that lots of people are becoming obsessed with small changes in their health.

Jude | LINK | HEALTH | COMMENTS (0)

On-line diabetes consultation

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Diabetes is running a public consultation to find out about people living with diabetes in the UK. The Hansard Society was commissioned to monitor and moderate the consultation and have established an online discussion forum to gather evidence beyond official statistics, and widen the pool of people involved in the consultation process. They are not looking for expert views but rather aiming to gather stories and concerns that may help shape future policy.
The consultation runs until Friday 28 January 2005. All contributions will be summarised and reported to the All-Party Group, disseminated to the media and interested stakeholders when the consultation finishes.

Jude | LINK | HEALTH | COMMENTS (0)

Creative Trainer Workshop - designers and NHS staff welcome

The Creative Trainer Workshop is being developed to encourage entrepreneurial spirit within frontline NHS staff. Empowering frontline staff to run service and communication design improvement projects. Providing them with the skills and confidence to nurture and develop their idea into reality. thinkpublic would like to invite designers and NHS staff of all levels to help shape the contents of The Creative Trainer.
RSVP: deborah@thinkpublic.com

Jude | LINK | HEALTH | COMMENTS (0)

Value Meal: Design and (over)Eating

20 american-based designers have created experimental projects which explore design’s potential to address the obesity epidemic currently afflicting the United States and the rest of the world.

The work will be on exhibition at the International Design Biennale in Saint-Etienne from November 6th through 14th, 2004 but you can get a preview from the cutrators over on the (re-designed) core77.com.

Chris Vanstone | LINK | HEALTH | COMMENTS (0)

Rewards for Healthy Eating…

An initiative helping to encourage school children to take more exercise is being piloted at four schools in Stevenage.

Students will receive reward points on their smartcards when they make a choice to eat a ‘healthy food’ option at school mealtimes. The points can be exchanged, for vouchers supplied by Stevenage Leisure, for free sports sessions. This is an interesting approach as it makes a link between ‘healthy eating’ and ‘exercise.’ (Sent in by Richard Linington)

http://www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/newsdetail.cfm?codeID=9153

| LINK | HEALTH | COMMENTS (0)

Behemoth

According to the Economist the NHS is the 3rd largest employer in the world, after China's Red Army and the Indian railways. By 2007 the NHS will spend more than the current GDP of Portugal.

Jude | LINK | HEALTH | COMMENTS (0)

Medical Futures

Medical Futures is an annual competition that's open to anyone connected with the health industry from students, scientists, or retired GP's. It's aim is to use the creativity and insight of the industry itself to address the problems of the day and to help commercialise these ideas.

Last years finalist include a community based diabetese drop in center, a pain test developed by a psychologist, a set of animated characters to promote health to kids and innovations in online consulting.

Chris Vanstone | LINK | HEALTH | COMMENTS (0)

We're looking for design projects about health...

In connection with our new health project we're looking for design projects that address the following areas.

Projects that motivate people to lead more active lives and exercise more.

Projects that helping people, particularly children, to eat healthily

Projects that relate to aiding the management of chronic conditions, including diabetese

We're interested in systems and services as well as products.

If you've been involed in a project yourself, know of one we'd be greateful for any links or leads. Please leave a comment or send an email if you prefer.

Chris Vanstone | LINK | CALL TO ACTION + HEALTH | COMMENTS (1)