About health and wellbeing coaches in general practice

Health and wellbeing coaches work with patients to help them achieve personal fitness and lifestyle goals. They help patients increase overall levels of physical activation, embrace healthier lifestyle choices and maintain long-term behavioural change. Following an initial assessment, health and wellbeing coaches support patients to take responsibility and develop their own goals and action plans. They motivate patients to complete the programmes and empower them to live independently by taking more control in managing their own health.

What can a health and wellbeing coach help with?

A health and wellbeing coach can help with the following goals for potential clients:

• defining achievable and realistic goals, and developing the resources and confidence that patients need to successfully manage their health and wellbeing
• prescribing tailored physical activity and healthy living advice (i.e. eating advice, quitting smoking, alcohol reduction, etc.), to help patients manage better and reduce the impact of existing long-term conditions
• motivating patients through education and plans, which are easy to integrate into their daily routines
• implementing preventative interventions aimed at improving patient physical and mental wellbeing to reduce the risk of developing long-term conditions

How do GPs benefit?

Health and wellbeing coaches empower patients to make positive choices that will enable them to live happier and healthier lives. This helps to relieve the burden of ill-health within the practice population.

How can patients access support from a health and wellbeing coach?

Patients will be identified and referred by healthcare colleagues within the practice. They will see a health and wellbeing coach in the same way they would usually see their GP or practice nurse, e.g. in a private room. If a patient sees a health and wellbeing coach, they will still be able to see a GP if they need to.

Page published: 21 May, 2021