As Dalmellington is a rural community, it can be an extra challenge for the people who live there to access optometry diabetic eye screening appointments. We noticed that there were fewer people attending their diabetic eye screening appointments and that these people were potentially missing out on getting the care and treatment they needed.
What is the Dalmellington Community Health Hub?
To help with this issue, two years ago, we started a pilot project to set up a diabetic eye screening clinic within Dalmellington community centre. Known as the the “Dalmellington Community Health Hub”, we held a weekly diabetic eye screening clinic every Wednesday.
What are the benefits of the Dalmellington Community Health Hub?
Not only did we have the diabetic eye screening, but we invited a range of other professionals to come along to talk to people about their health and wellbeing and offer support.
Services include:
- Diabetic Eye Screening Appointments
- Quit Your Way (Smoking Cessation)
- Community Treatment & Care Nurse Appointments
- Feet First (Toenail Clipping)
- Diabetes Managed Care Network
- Brew & Blether Social Group
- Oral Health
- Control IT – Diabetes Education Sessions
- Let’s Prevent – Group Diabetes Education Sessions
- Vibrant Communities
- Social Security Scotland
- Health Information & Resources Service
What did the two year evaluation show?
The good news is that the pilot was a big success. We have seen an increase in the number of people attending for their diabetic eye screening and three quarters of those surveyed felt that the hub gave them the information they need to better manage their condition. Those who attended the hub gave very positive feedback: people like having a centralised, local hub where they can access support from a range of services in one place. Four out of five people surveyed said that they felt that the hub was a welcoming space.
What will the hub look like going forward?
As the pilot comes to an end, we are pleased to announce that this will be made into a longstanding programme within the local community. Many of the people who attended the hub said there was a better atmosphere when it was busier. Therefore we have made a decision to move the hub to a fortnightly event to concentrate the services that attend and encourage a higher attendance.
We are continuing to think about different ways to improve the hub and make it more accessible and are exploring what other service could attend to support more long-term health conditions.