Healthwise Waltham Forest

The Healthwise programme offers a Physical Activity on Referral programme to support you to achieve your personal goals and become more active. 

This programme is very successful at helping residents of Waltham Forest to improve their health, as it offers comprehensive support, from expert staff. We run our sessions within several of our Better facilities - and across Waltham Forest we receive around hundreds of referrals every month - our team calls and speaks to every single one of these members of the public in need of health support, aiming to book them in for crucial health related activities.

The programme is delivered by fully qualified exercise professionals. The team are on hand to offer information and support with physical activity and healthy lifestyles advice.

We are a team of health professionals that are qualified to assess customers with medical needs, and have the expertise to assign residents to specific and suitable activities to best suit their needs. 

The staff that will speak to you on the phone are highly trained and motivated team members, who are experts at understanding needs, and being able to encourage and support you into booking your assessments and inductions.

The team of facilitators are expert health and fitness trainers, whose objectives are to ensure that you achieve your goals and improve your health. These team members are incredibly supportive, empathetic and compassionate, and have your best interests at the core of what they deliver.

You will need to be over the age of 18 and either a Waltham Forest resident or registered with a Waltham Forest GP. You can be referred to the service by your consultant, GP, Practice Nurse or any other health or social care professional.

If your GP or nurse feel you may benefit from the programme they will need to complete a referral form and send it to the Healthwise team who will contact you to discuss the programme further and make an appointment.

Inclusion Criteria for Physical Activity:

1. You do not currently achieving at least 30 minutes of at least moderate physical activity per week
2. You need structured support to become physically active
3. Your GP has deemed that you are 'ready to change'
4. And, you have at least one condition that could be prevented or improved through being more active such as:
   - Increased risk of diabetes or cardiovascular disease
   - Cardiovascular disease
   - Controlled Diabetes - Type I and Type II
   - Cancer (12 months post treatment)
   - Arthritis
   - Peripheral Arterial Disease
   - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
   - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
   - Fibromyalgia
   - Mild to moderate mental illness (depression or anxiety)

Exclusion Criteria for Physical Activity:

1. You do not achieve 30 minutes of exercise a week, but have no relevant/associated risk factors or chronic condition
2. You are advised not to exercise according to current British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation guidelines
3. You require specialist support to exercise (and are therefore unsuitable for a 'general' physical activity on referral programme)

For more information on the ‘Healthwise Service’ please contact the team on:

Tel: 0208 509 9196