Over a Third of Hertfordshire’s GP Surgeries are Active Practices

The Active Connections programme, led by the Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership (HSP) and funded by Herts County Council Public Health team, is helping GP surgeries across Hertfordshire integrate physical activity into primary care, with promising results for both patients and staff.   

An integral part of the Active Connections programme is activating new Active Practices via the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Active Practice Charter accreditation. Five objectives are encapsulated in the charter, including: 

• Reducing Sedentary Behaviour of Patients 

• Reducing Sedentary Behaviour of Staff 

• Increasing Physical Activity of Patients 

• Increasing Physical Activity of Staff 

• Partnering with Local Physical Activity Providers 

When Active Connections began in 2024, there was one Active Practice in the county. There are now an overwhelming 45 surgeries who have gained status and who are championing the message that ‘movement is medicine’ to their patients and residents.  

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Who is signed up already? 

You can view our dashboard of all 45 Hertfordshire Active Practices here to see if your local GP surgery is involved. We have also included links to case studies to ensure best practice is replicated across the county. 

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How can you help? 

You can help broaden the reach of Active Practices but reaching out in your role and capacity. Whether you are a health professional working in primary care, or if you are working outside the health sector (i.e., in physical activity provision or for a local authority), you can impact and influence those around you.  

Think about who can champion Active Practice in your surgery – This could be: Patient Participation Group, Personalised Care Team, PCN Manager or Clinical Director, Practice Manager, Receptionist, GP Trainee, Medical Students, or a first Contact Physiotherapist – the list is endless! 

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Do you need a Business Case? 

Time and workload pressures are evident in healthcare and sometimes a business case is necessary to put forward to PCN/Surgery Management to ensure this is made a priority. If you’re struggling where to start with this, you can use the following prompts to get you started: 

• Evidence and research about the benefits of physical activity on health 

• Trusted information from a GP 

• Improve health of staff/patients 

• Strength local community connections 

• Great for appraisals and personal professional development 

• Helps in achieving high CQC ratings and improved patient satisfaction scores 

• Improve staff morale 

• Supports the move toward personalised care and social prescribing 

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Get Involved 

Start a conversation with HSP at hsphealth@herts.ac.uk - it is likely that your surgery is actively doing a lot already without even knowing; HSP can then bring your application to life and support you through the Active Practice process, ensuring it sustains long-term.