“It’s a priority because it’s at the core of a lot of our patient’s problems”:  Poverty Proofing Healthcare Interview

Our Poverty Proofing© service supports healthcare settings to minimise the impact of poverty on patient outcomes by listening to the experiences of their patients, staff and stakeholders on how their daily experiences intersect with poverty. But what does that mean in practice? 

We interviewed Boris Landea, Administrator at Cruddas GP Park Surgery to share his experience of the process and how it has influenced his practice to view and tackle poverty differently.

I found the training really informative and eye-opening when we were talking about our catchment area.

 

What were your first thoughts about Poverty Proofing© when you found out it would be happening at Cruddas Park GP Surgery?

My first thought was it would be an amazing help for our practice just because of where our practice sits. It’s what our community needs. Poverty is the root of a lot of social care problems and we need better awareness. When the training happened I didn’t know what would be said so I loved the fact we were sitting in groups and chatting amongst ourselves. It was very interesting to see poverty awareness in both admin staff and GPs because we have different backgrounds, and how it is that we define poverty. It was good to work amongst people that weren’t just alike.

Phase one of the process is Poverty Proofing© training, which you have completed. How did you find the training and what stood out for you the most?

The training was just flowing, and you took questions all the time. I found the training really informative and eye-opening when we were talking about our catchment area and where we sit in the country. What was the most interesting is how poverty can come across. Poverty can be financial poverty, social poverty, and so there are different ways to look it. This is something I really discovered and was made aware of. Knowing that we can do something within the practice, the purpose being to see how we work and see how we can address poverty at first it feels like it’s going to be a mammoth task, because it’s another project on top of our work, but it’s a priority because it’s at the core of a lot of our patient’s problems.

 

It can always seem hard to see new projects come along, but Poverty Proofing© has been brought to us in a bitesize way.

 

 

What role do you see playing in addressing health inequalities?

So, I think we can be an example for other practices because we’re taking on this project. We are lucky to have admin and healthcare staff who are on board so I think we can make a difference if we work through it together. The main thing is to be an example for other practices, something to aim for; to show that we can work in parallel, raising poverty awareness and the practiced work of a GP practice working alongside each other. It doesn’t have to be either or. Poverty is to be incorporated into our day-to-day life.

What would you say to another organisation who was considering undergoing the Poverty Proofing© process?

That they shouldn’t be scared of it. The training makes it seem like it can be achievable. It can always seem hard to see new projects come along, but Poverty Proofing© has been brought to us in a bitesize way. Don’t be scared, give it a go.

 

If you want to learn more about our Poverty Proofing Services for healthcare settings or how they can help you achieve your goals for inclusive, accessible healthcare, get in touch via our contact form.