Calling all Healthcare Professionals to gain Active Practice Status

What is the Active Practice Charter?

The Active Practice Charter is an initiative created by The Royal College of GPs and Sport England to inspire and celebrate GP practices that champion the role of physical activity in improving overall health and wellbeing. It is a fun, easy way to make some simple but impactful changes in your workplace that will demonstrate to your patients and staff that you mean it when you say that movement is the best medicine.

To become an Active Practice and to receive a certificate recognising active practice status, surgeries need to demonstrate that they have taken steps in the following areas:

• Increasing physical activity in staff and patients.
• Reducing sedentary behaviour in staff and patients.
• Partnering with a local physical activity provider to support the practice to get more people active.

Why should you become an Active Practice?

• Demonstrate to patients, partners, and funders (particularly within QOF) that you are proactively using physical activity to benefit the health of both staff and patients.
• It’s a quick and simple application process.
• You’re probably already doing a lot (if not all) of the required actions.
• It will provide ongoing access and support from HSP and the wider physical activity network.

How can you become an Active Practice?

Becoming an Active Practice couldn’t be simpler: sign-up via the link which directs you to a simple form which is quick to complete. You need to be demonstrating one of each of the specified areas, but obviously the more you’re doing, the better! HSP can support you in gaining this status and in sustaining and committing to your pledges of keeping your staff and patients active longer-term. See below and via the link for some top tips to get you started in gaining Active Practice status.

Some ideas for your pledges:

Support a reduction in sedentary behaviour in staff:

• Install adjustable standing desks.
• Introduce weekly standing or walking meetings.
• Switch off the patient call in system, so clinicians walk to the waiting room instead.
• Organise a workshop about the impacts of sedentary behaviour.

Support a reduction in sedentary behaviour in patients:

• Signpost your stairs clearly, explaining its benefits over using the lift.
• Create a standing space in the waiting room with information for patients explaining why.
• Introduce walking or standing consultations.

Support an increase in physical activity in staff:

• Sign up to a cycle-to-work scheme and improve cycle parking facilities.
• Introduce a weekly yoga or Pilates session for staff.
• Set up practice challenges e.g., step count competitions, fun runs, weekend walks, swimming events, Tough Mudder etc.
• You might like to take a look at Total Active Hub - Taking the lead on creating active engaged employees. You can browse our fully-funded Active Connections Hub and get your staff moving more today! Speak to us at hsphealth@herts.ac.uk if you have any questions about signing up.

Support an increase in physical activity in patients:

• Visibly advertise ways to be physically active (posters, leaflets, TV ads).
• Display activities that can be done whilst in the waiting room e.g. seated stretches.
• Provide training for your social prescribers or other frontline non-clinical staff members around the principles of physical activity.
• Provide secure bike parking for patients.

Partner with a local physical activity provider, to support the practice in getting more people active:

• Join over 1700 GP practices and sign up with your local parkrun to be a parkrun practice.
• Set up or partner with a local health walk.
• Connect to your local Exercise Referral Scheme.
• Work with HSP to approach a local gym or other activity provider to offer a discounted rate rate for patients registered with your practice who have an existing long-term condition.

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The Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership are here to help at any stage of your application, including how to make the most of your Active Practice Status once it’s achieved, so please feel free to contact hsphealth@herts.ac.uk if you need any support. 

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Take a look below at how Hatfield PCN have achieved Active Practice status and the initiatives they have embedded into their four surgeries to sustain their status: