Within Delivering for Health, The Scottish Executive's response to the Kerr report, a key national priority would be to strengthen and enhance primary care services in deprived areas to reduce health inequalities. To support delivery of this, the Keep Well programme was announced with the intention of piloting the anticipatory care model within geographic communities of greatest need.

The target population is 45–64year olds at risk of developing serious ill-health. Interventions are centred on:

• Tackling intermediate risk factors- identifying, treating, and controlling high cholesterol and blood pressure and promoting the effective application of tailored Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) secondary prevention packages among people who already have CVD or Diabetes
• Tackling lifestyle risk factors, through smoking cessation services, healthy eating, weight management, physical activity and brief interventions on alcohol

Supporting the Programme

The Dundee Healthy Living Initiative has a team of professionals who are trained by NHS Scotland in Health Coaching and Motivational Interviewing.

Health Coach Service

Dundee Healthy Living Initiative offers individual consultations with people aged 45–64 years referred from GP Keep Well project practices, who would benefit from additional support to help them change their lifestyles.

This might include:

• Losing weight
• Becoming more physically active
• Stopping smoking
• Learning to cope with stress
• Eat more healthily
• Increasing self confidence

The individual consultations:

• Takes place in a location convenient to the client
• Helps the client decide which aspects of their life they would wish to change
• Helps the client set goals for change
• Signposts the client to a wide range of activities that will support them to make change
• Monitors progress towards achieving their goals