The outreach and mobile service is expanding around the district and including more Dr’s practices and medical centres.
Based in the Ashfield Health & Wellbeing Centre in Kirkby in Ashfield since 2015, the Citizens Advice service has had a long association with the NHS in Ashfield.
Kathryn Stacey CEO at Citizens Advice Ashfield said ‘We recently secured funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. This has allowed us to expand our service to different parts of the community; we see many people who have long term health problems and are regularly visiting their doctor, so it’s natural for us to be providing service in those locations where patients already visit. We hope to expand this during the next few months and work with more practices over the course of the project’
Ashfield Citizens Advice have been providing trained outreach advisers at an agreed regular time and providing a full advice service in a private area in the participating practices. The practices have promoted the service to the patients and in some cases booked appointments around the advice sessions for patients convenience.
Patients can receive a wide range of advice in areas such as Benefits, Employment, Consumer, Housing (and many more) and be referred to specialist advice in Debt and money management.
So far a regular service had been provided at Brierley Medical Practice Huthwaite, Kings Medical Centre Sutton in Ashfield, Whyburn Medical Practice Hucknall and Jacksdale Medical Centre
Liz Griffin Practice Manager at Brierley Medical Centre says ‘There’s been a great response to Citizens Advice being here, many patients are asking when the next visit is so they can receive some advice. It’s a positive add on service for our patients’
Throughout the county similar projects are in place in Stapleford Care Centre, Whyburn Medical Practice, Hucknall and The Calverton Practice.