Health and wellbeing professionals got together in Swanage, Dorset, to showcase what they do, with the aim of breaking down silos and creating a more joined up experience for patients.
The event at The Mowlem on Wednesday 2nd October 2025 was organised by the NHS Purbeck Integrated Neighbourhood Team, with about 14 local providers of healthcare setting up information stalls in The Showbar.
The Health and Wellbeing event was held in the heart of the Swanage community in The Mowlem
Improve services and patient experience
Represented were community nurses, social prescribers, physiotherapists, and mental health teams, along with Dorset Council which provides social services, and the voluntary sector like The Focus Centre and Lewis-Manning Hospice Care.
The Swanage Medical Practice Patient Participation Group (PPG) which works to make sure the patient perspective is at the heart of the practice to improve services and patient experience, was also at the event.
Chair of Swanage Medical Practice PPG Margaret Guy said:
“This event has been great at showcasing what healthcare services are available in Purbeck and giving people a better idea of how to access them.
“While the medical practice is, quite rightly, the first place a person will often go to for help with a medical issue, there are a growing number of ways to access help directly without going via a GP.
“For instance it’s now possible for many to self refer themselves to a physio or get prescriptions for some medical conditions directly from a pharmacy without the need to visit a GP.
“There’s also Live Well Dorset which provides free coaching, support and advice to help you move more, manage your weight, stop smoking or drink less alcohol and can be contacted directly by phone or via its website. As well as organisations that offer free mental health services and support for parents.
“While there is a lot going on which is helping to improve the patient experience, I’m concerned that Healthwatch is to be abolished nationally. It’s an independent organisation which has the power to make sure NHS leaders and other decision makers listen to patient feedback and improve standards of care.
“Healthwatch is an important organisation to preserve as it allows patients somewhere to go to air grievances without being anxious that it will adversely affect their care. There’s a petition against it being scrapped which I’d urge patients in Purbeck to consider signing.”
The Swanage Medical Practice PPG team with Margaret Guy (right)
“Create a community approach to living well in Purbeck”
There was also a 35 minute film in the theatre, featuring Purbeck healthcare and wellbeing staff who described what their roles involved.
Purbeck Primary Care clinical director and one of the leads for the Purbeck Integrated Neighbourhood Team, Anna Darling addressed the audience before the film and reminded everyone how special it is to live in Purbeck. She said:
“Recruitment of healthcare professionals is a challenge. Purbeck residents frequently travel long distances to access hospitals or specialist care, and infrastructure, such as public transport and digital connectivity is limited.
“On the positive side though, being a rural and coastal setting is also one of our strongest assets. Not only does it offer us a beautiful area to live and work in, we also have a strong sense of community and established positive working relationships.
“Reports suggest that clinical care only makes up about 20 percent of health outcomes while social and economic factors and physical environment contribute to the remaining 80 percent.
“It is therefore essential that we work closely with our social care colleagues, schools, council and voluntary and community organisations to create a community approach to living well in Purbeck.”
One of the leads for the Purbeck Integrated Neighbourhood Team, Anna Darling introduced the film
“Difficult bit is getting the acute hospitals to let go”
Also attending the event was MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole Vikki Slade, whose constituency includes Wareham community hospital.
She praised the work being done in Purbeck to integrate services and be more community focussed. She said:
“Under the government’s 10 year health plan, the agenda is now going in the direction of moving health services from acute hospitals into the community.
“But the difficult bit is getting the acute hospitals to let go and release the money for preventative care in the community.
“A good example in Purbeck was the pilot project by Lewis Manning Hospice Care which cared for people with life limiting illnesses in their homes. It was funded by NHS Dorset and was estimated to save the NHS £600,000 a year by treating people at home rather than in Poole Hospital.
“I’m hoping we will see more money going into family hubs and other community health projects. I’d also like to see more integration of health services with councils who are responsible for local housing policy.
“Unless you deal with how people are housed you can’t deal with health issues. Living in mouldy and damp housing only causes more illness.”
Lewis Manning Hospice Care is always guaranteed to brighten up the day!
“We don’t have to have everything in our community”
However Vikki Slade doesn’t believe that all health services should be delivered closer to home, within the community.
A clinic providing chemotherapy to cancer patients used to be at Wareham community hospital, run by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Trust, but after a member of staff retired, it was closed and now all cancer patients living in Purbeck have to travel to Poole Hospital.
Speaking candidly Vikki Slade said:
“There is no legitimate reason to bring the chemotherapy clinic back to Wareham. There is enough capacity in Poole, and cancer specialists can’t spend their time travelling out to communities.
“We don’t have to have everything in our community. Cancer patients in places like Blandford travel into Poole, so people from Swanage and Wareham can too. Poole isn’t that far away.”
A follow up event will take place from 2 pm to 4 pm on Thursday 29th January 2026 at Corfe Castle village hall, where the results of a patient survey will be discussed. Everyone is welcome.
Mental health services and organisations were well represented including the charity Dorset Mind
Further information
- Get sign posted to health services from the Swanage Medical Practice and the Focus Centre
- Get help direct from Live Well Dorset, Parentline, Steps2wellbeing and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
- Government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England
- More about the Healthwatch petition
