Moray Leisure Centre has launched a new partnership with NHS Grampian to ease the phenomenal pressure building on the health service.
The Elgin facility is also working with Health and Social Care Moray to reduce the strain on the sector and staff.
There has been a remarkable surge in memberships at the leisure centre since a cash crisis forced it to the brink of closure just seven years ago.
Bosses have already revealed their ambitions for a huge extension to the gym and fitness studios to keep pace with the rising demand.
Part of the vision includes a new partnership with health agencies to help Elgin and Moray locals take charge of their own health and fitness.
Specialist courses to help manage conditions including heart problems, diabetes and obesity have been launched to accept referrals from GPs.
The Press and Journal visited Moray Leisure Centre to learn more about how bosses hope to play their part in easing the pressure on the NHS, including;
- What someone referred by their GP to Moray Leisure Centre can expect.
- How people today want to take charge of their own health journey.
- The benefits NHS Grampian and Health and Social Care Moray hope to get from the partnership.
Why Moray Leisure Centre is joining NHS in health mission
It is no secret that NHS is under pressure in way it has never has been before due to an ageing population living with even more complex conditions.
Moray Leisure Centre has teamed up with local health services to launch the Heart of Moray, which is a research project to see how the NHS and community groups can work closer together.
It includes GPs being able to refer patients for specific exercise programmes for conditions including obesity, diabetes and heart problems that can are convenient and accessible when it suits.
Moray Leisure Centre chief executive John O’Kane said: “Everyone knows what a hospital is, everyone knows what a doctor’s surgery is.
“Well, this will become the third health space to take the pressure off the other two.
“If people come in and engage with that programme then they won’t need to visit the doctor so often because they’re looking after themselves.”
Moray Leisure Centre has already seen the huge demand in Elgin for health advice not necessarily from the NHS.
Mr O’Kane added: “Two years ago we put on a menopause evening, just a health talk about the health challenges are of going through it.
“We expected about 20 or 30 people in our meeting room. We had to move it to the Football Club for 200 people.
“There’s a huge market for information about public health. We’re beginning to move into that world, where people are a little bit worried about their health.
“A lot of these people aren’t currently coming to the centre, so it’s a new market for us too.”
What does Moray Leisure Centre health journey look like?
So what happens if you introduce yourself to the reception team at Moray Leisure Centre and say you need some help?
Operations and finance manager Alexandrea Macleod explained those wanting help with their weight could be given a tailored exercise programme.
She said: “We sold 200 spaces on a course in August on a 12-week programme to assist and give advice on how to lose weight, and we’re doing that in February too.
“Weight management goes hand-in-hand with exercise and physical activity, and we do both.
“At the moment we get that advice from DHI (Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre) and NHS about what that looks like, and marry people who have these concerns or challenges with the right programme.
“There are also personal trainers in the gym so there’s that bespoke one-to-one service for those who want it.”
Huge demand to take control of health
Staff and instructors at Moray Leisure Centre are already seeing gym users come armed with tools to monitor their workouts.
Technology is allowing people to track what they are doing and the benefits they are getting from it better than ever before.
Mr O’Kane believes the trend shows there is a growing appetite for people to take even more control of their own health.
He said: “There’s so much more information now about diet and about how you should exercise.
“It’s now in the mainstream and public domain in a way they wouldn’t have been 10 years ago.”
Mrs Macleod added: “We want people who are focussed on their health to come to us as the norm, not to go to the GP or a health professional.
“You can do a lot of preventative work just by getting fit and healthy.”
‘Health care on your own time, not NHS time’
Bosses at Moray Leisure Centre believe the community atmosphere surrounding the Elgin facility can help increase motivation for fitness classes.
Gym users can regularly be seen sharing chats in the cafe after sessions while some sign up for multiple visits a week.
Jacqueline Walker, Health and Social Care Moray’s lead dietician, believes the partnership approach could be the future of healthcare.
She said: “I’m really hoping this builds a stronger community that builds individuals who can live stronger, fitter and healthier lives.
“People in Moray and across Scotland are living overweight and with obesity. There are lots of reasons for it, often not always people’s fault.
“I’d like to see the support we’re offering being taken up by communities so people have quicker access to weight management with a knock-on effect of reducing cardiovascular disease, reduced diabetes and people living healthier happier lives.
“I really think this is part of the future. It will help you get to the right place quicker while also doing it in your own time and not always on NHS time.”
Read more from Elgin
- How Moray Leisure Centre has recovered from brink of closure to be plotting HUGE expansion
- An incredible 2,500 new homes, more schools and a potential traffic headache: Big questions answered about Elgin South housing
- How Elgin Sports Community Trust has reached 100,000 people since opening Gleaner Arena just four years ago
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