These are dedicated staff in surgeries that provide support and assistance within their defined categories, including palliative care, dementia, or general care. The list of Champions is displayed in practice with further details on the roles. The different Champions are as follows.
Learning disabilities: a dedicated champion specialising in caring for our patients with learning disabilities. The register is monitored to ensure patients are reviewed regularly.
Palliative care/end-of-life: a dedicated champion for palliative care and end-of-life who supports patients coming to the end of their lives and families facing the loss of a loved one.
Carers: a dedicated carers’ champion who offers advice and support to those looking after someone who cannot care for themselves. Regular contact is maintained with the local carers centre and patients to ensure appropriate services and support are in place.
Cancer: a dedicated cancer champion who contacts all newly diagnosed patients to ensure they have all systems and processes in place for their follow-up and medication. They also offer general support.
Long-term conditions: a dedicated champion to support compliance with annual reviews, which means better control of long-term conditions and better quality of life for our patients. Extra-long appointments offer convenience and reduce time off work because all conditions are reviewed together at one appointment.
Cytology: a dedicated champion to support compliance with the implementation of cervical smears within a practice based on government and NHSE guidelines.
Mental health and mental wellbeing: a dedicated champion to support patients with mental health and mental wellbeing concerns. Regular contact is maintained, and patients are aware that support is available to signpost to appropriate services and provide advice as required.
Dementia: a dedicated champion to support patients with dementia and their families. Regular contact is maintained to provide support and signpost patients to other services.
DOLS: a dedicated champion to support the practice with Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) related queries/concerns.
Military veterans: a dedicated champion to support the practice in liaising with military veterans and serving/service personnel. Regular contact is maintained, and patients are aware of the champion who can signpost to appropriate services and provide support as required.
Sepsis: a dedicated champion to support patients who have had a sepsis diagnosis to ensure appropriate services and support are in place. A register is monitored to ensure correct clinical pathways are followed and learning points are shared.
Patient liaison officer: a dedicated champion to promote services offered by the practice to new and existing patients and obtain feedback. Regular contact is made with existing PPG members, and promotions are sent out to patients to encourage members to join.
Safeguarding: a dedicated safeguarding champion who works closely with the clinical safeguarding leads to ensure all patients, both children and adults, are offered advice and support. Regular contact is maintained with the local safeguarding team, and the register is monitored and reviewed regularly. Feedback is given at each practice/safeguarding meeting.
COVID: a dedicated COVID champion to ensure compliance and safety is in place for staff and patients. Regular updates are circulated, and new guidance is implemented safely and effectively.
Suicide: a dedicated champion who helps clinicians to support patients who have expressed suicidal thoughts or experienced the suicide of someone close to them. Regular contact with patients and awareness of help and support is maintained.
Loneliness/isolation: a dedicated champion to consolidate welfare checks on patients to make sure they are being supported socially. This includes their ability to look after themselves in terms of shopping for essentials, interacting with people on the phone, or having someone drop off medication.
Bereavement: a dedicated champion who engages with families which have lost loved ones, offering support and signposting to other available services.
Young families: a dedicated champion to engage with families and young people, monitoring health requirements such as child immunisations and vaccine recommendations for young adults, such as MMR and MenACWY. This also includes encouraging engagement in sexual health programmes and awareness.