What is a Health and Wellbeing Coach and how do they support patients?
We employ Health and Wellbeing Coaches (HWBCs) on behalf of some PCNs to enhance the services they are able to offer their patients.
HWBCs are trained NHS professionals that work with patients to help you understand how to improve your own health and support you in improving your wellbeing.
You may be referred to a health and wellbeing coach if you have certain types of physical or mental health concerns or are at risk of developing them. Examples include respiratory and cardiovascular conditions (including type 2 diabetes and hypertension), as well as stress or low mood.
Health and wellbeing coaches are trained in supporting behaviour change, meaning that they can guide and support you to make sustainable changes yourself, whether that’s supporting weight management, increasing activity levels, or building confidence.
By adopting a motivational goal-setting approach, health and wellbeing coaches help patients identify changes they want to make and take manageable steps that encourage gradual progress that you feel able to stick to.
Although health and wellbeing coaches are not clinical roles, they help enable patients to self-manage and commit to a lifestyle which improves their physical and mental health and overall quality of life.
Alongside GPs, nurses and other professional roles, health and wellbeing coaches play an important role in primary care.