O’Neill launches Living Well Moyle

Health Minister Michelle O’Neill launched Living Well Moyle on Wednesday, a new approach to supporting people with chronic conditions

The Living Well model aims to best meet the needs of frail patients with multiple medical conditions, by cutting through the complexity of a fragmented system and improve people’s experience of care, by refocusing the system on what is most important to the person.

 Speaking at the launch, the Minister said: “The aim of Living Well Moyle is to improve prevention and resilience amongst older people with multiple long-term conditions by providing support for daily living. With a coordinator to help identify goals and coordinate a management plan and support from trained volunteers, people will become better connected to their community, more physically and socially active and subsequently have better health outcomes.

“I am clear that the future of services must be driven by co-production, by building capacity within communities and by learning from approaches exactly like this one. The potential is clear to see. Too often change is seen as negative, but change is also an opportunity. It’s a chance to take the best of what we have and improve it. Not just to ensure that the funding we have is used to greatest effect but to improve outcomes too.”

The Minister continued: “I want to see a health and social care system which is efficient and sustainable, where best practice is the norm and where investment is made in areas that will positively impact service users.”

The Living Well Model is based around the role of a Living Well Coordinator. The Coordinator will work collaboratively as part of a local integrated health, social care and voluntary sector team, to improve the coordination of care and support provided with the aim of improving health and well-being for people and their families.

Valerie Watts, Chief Executive, Health and Social Care Board and Public Health Agency commented; “All those involved in Living Well Moyle deserve congratulations. It is not easy to step out-side mainstream services and create new ways of working in such a successful and effective way. By identifying a local need and involving the community, health and care professionals together with voluntary and community organisations, you have demonstrated the success of partnership working and this approach is at the very core of our Health Minister’s vision for the future.”

The Minister also presented a prize to Lesley-Ann Devenney, a pupil of Cross and Passion College, who designed the winning logo for Living Well Moyle. A total of 101 pupils submitted entries from four local schools, Ballycastle High School, Cross and Passion College, Dunluce School and St Killian’s College.