The post Rethinking Pain: Insights from The Kings Fund and Here appeared first on Here.
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The blog argues for a fundamental shift: from doing things to people in pain, to doing things with them. That means co-designing services alongside people with lived experience, understanding what really matters to them, and supporting them to take part in shaping their care. This approach resonates deeply with our work at Here, where we are rethinking how pain services can be delivered across Sussex and beyond. We know that pain doesn’t exist in isolation — it affects movement, sleep, relationships, mental health, and overall wellbeing. Addressing it effectively means working across boundaries and building partnerships that help people stay active, connected, and in control of their health.
Our Rethinking Our Health programme is already putting these principles into practice:
This collaboration with The King’s Fund reflects our shared belief that meaningful change happens when people, professionals, and communities design health services together. You can read the full blog, “Rethinking Pain: Can a ‘Do With’ Approach Prevent Complex Multiple Conditions?”, on The King’s Fund website.
We’ve been asking communities what really matters when they’re living with pain. In this update, we share what we heard, what surprised us, and how this learning is shaping a new three-part support offer for MSK pain that starts locally, builds on existing strengths, and is designed together.
What if pain wasn’t just something to manage, but a signal for change? The Kings Fund and Here explore how a “do with” approach can transform pain services – focusing on prevention, connection, and holistic support.
Introducing Rethinking Our Health – a new way of working with communities to support people living with long-term conditions.
The post Rethinking Pain: Insights from The Kings Fund and Here appeared first on Here.
]]>The post Here shortlisted for HSJ Award 2025 for CADs appeared first on Here.
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We’re delighted to share that Community Appointments Days (CADs), developed by Here as part of Sussex MSK Partnership has been shortlisted for a 2025 HSJ Award in the Primary and Community Care Innovation of the Year category.
This shortlisting is a celebration of the collaborative effort that brought CADs to life – including our brilliant partners at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, local VCSE organisations, and the dedicated clinicians, care navigators and volunteers who are reimagining care with us.
Our entry showcases the innovative CAD model of care co-designed with patients, clinicians and voluntary sector partners. CADs are transforming how people experience MSK (musculoskeletal) support by bringing together whole teams of professionals in local community spaces, and delivering same-day, person-centred care shaped around individual priorities.
“What could have taken a few months was made possible in 1.5 hours.”
— Patient feedback from a CAD
Born from a vision to take care out of hospitals and into the heart of communities, CADs enable people to get the support they need in one visit – from clinical advice and self-management plans to wellbeing coaching and social prescribing. With over half of attendees discharged to self-care on the day, and outstanding feedback from both patients and staff, CADs are delivering real impact – and a powerful example of what becomes possible when we start with trust, partnership, and the question “What matters to you?”
The most coveted accolade in UK healthcare, the HSJ Awards is the largest annual benchmarking and recognition programme for the health sector. This year’s awards attracted more than 1,250 entries from across the health sector. With only 245 projects and individuals making it through to the final shortlist, the competition has been incredibly tough, demonstrating the impressive scale of talent, commitment, and impact across the NHS and wider healthcare landscape.
Our shortlisted entry for Community Appointment Days, was selected following a rigorous judging process and has been recognised as a standout example of excellence in healthcare delivery.
We are honoured to be shortlisted for the HSJ 2025, Primary and Community Care Innovation of the Year award. This recognition is a testament to what’s possible when we put people at the centre of care and work across traditional boundaries. Community Appointment Days are built on trust, collaboration and listening – and they’re making a real difference to people’s lives. I’m incredibly proud of the teams and partners who have made this happen and delighted to see their work acknowledged on a national stage. To be recognised among so many outstanding initiatives is already a win in itself.
Helen Curr
CEO at
Here
HSJ Editor Alastair McLellan commented: “On behalf of all my colleagues, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate Here on being shortlisted as a finalist in the category of Primary and Community Care Innovation of the Year. All of the applications represent the ‘very best of the NHS’ and often leave our esteemed panel of judges with an impossible choice! Year on year the number of entrants continue to rise which I find so encouraging and is testament to the effect that HSJ Awards can have on improved staff culture and morale.”
We’re proud to stand alongside others who are pushing boundaries and demonstrating that integrated, person-centred care is not just possible, but essential for the future of healthcare.
Thank you to everyone involved and congratulations to all the other inspiring projects and teams shortlisted this year!
We’ve been asking communities what really matters when they’re living with pain. In this update, we share what we heard, what surprised us, and how this learning is shaping a new three-part support offer for MSK pain that starts locally, builds on existing strengths, and is designed together.
What if pain wasn’t just something to manage, but a signal for change? The Kings Fund and Here explore how a “do with” approach can transform pain services – focusing on prevention, connection, and holistic support.
Discover how one mother’s visit to Sussex Community Dermatology Service showed the power of care that listens, understands, and truly makes a difference.
The post Here shortlisted for HSJ Award 2025 for CADs appeared first on Here.
]]>The post Rethinking Our Health: co-designing better support for long-term health conditions in Sussex appeared first on Here.
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Rethinking Our Health is a new collaboration between Here and The King’s Fund, bringing together communities and organisations across Sussex to explore new ways of supporting people living with multiple long-term conditions.
Together with partners in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, primary care, and local government, we’ll be focusing on two neighbourhood test sites:
Long-term conditions (LTCs) are among the most pressing issues in health and social care in the UK. These chronic illnesses require sustained, ongoing management, and an increasing number of people are living with more than one condition.
This rise in multiple long-term conditions is having a serious and growing impact on individuals, families, communities, the economy, and our health and care services.
However, formal healthcare only accounts for around 20 per cent of a person’s health outcomes. The remaining 80 per cent are influenced by social factors, health behaviours and the physical environment. This means we need to look beyond traditional ways of working and rethink how people, communities, and professionals across health and other sectors come together to design solutions.
This project directly supports the aims of the new NHS 10-Year Plan, which prioritises prevention, neighbourhood-level care, personalised support, and tackling the root causes of health inequality.
Rethinking Our Health aligns closely with the plan’s ambition to strengthen the role of communities and the voluntary sector in health improvement, and to give people more control over managing their own conditions. It also helps test practical approaches to joined-up, place-based care, delivered through integrated neighbourhood teams.
Wick test site partners
Voluntary Action Arun & Chichester, Arun District Council, West Sussex County Council, Arun ICT
West Brighton & Hove test site partners
The Hangleton & Knoll Project, Portslade Health Centre
People with more than one long-term condition often face a tangled web of barriers to managing their health, not only clinical symptoms, but also housing pressures, transport issues, isolation, work stress, or caring responsibilities.
Rethinking Our Health is about working with communities to design and test new ways of offering support that will:
Initially, we will focus on supporting people living with osteoarthritis, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which are often experienced together. We expect pain and mental health to be important factors in this work, although persistent pain will not be included in the project.
We know that people face a wide range of barriers when it comes to managing their health. These include:
The project will unfold over four phases:
Everything we do will be underpinned by a shared set of values and principles:
If you would like to know more or get involved, please contact jo.crease@nhs.net.
We will be sharing our learning and progress as the project develops on our blog.
We’ve been asking communities what really matters when they’re living with pain. In this update, we share what we heard, what surprised us, and how this learning is shaping a new three-part support offer for MSK pain that starts locally, builds on existing strengths, and is designed together.
What if pain wasn’t just something to manage, but a signal for change? The Kings Fund and Here explore how a “do with” approach can transform pain services – focusing on prevention, connection, and holistic support.
Introducing Rethinking Our Health – a new way of working with communities to support people living with long-term conditions.
The post Rethinking Our Health: co-designing better support for long-term health conditions in Sussex appeared first on Here.
]]>The post What works for Menopause in the workplace? Sharing what we’ve learned appeared first on Here.
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Today we’re publishing the evaluation of Menopause@Work, a programme we co-led with Brighton & Hove City Council to support menopause awareness and action in small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
Funded by the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Fund as part of the Women’s Health Strategy for England, the project’s aim was to give SMEs the knowledge, confidence, and tools to better support staff through menopause.
Through a mix of live events, online resources, and practical learning modules, we engaged nearly 500 individuals, most from SME organisations that we set out to support.
Our intention from the start was to bring expertise out of the clinic and into the everyday situations people live and work in, blending it with local knowledge and community insight to create something truly practical and grounded.
With the final evaluation now complete, we’re sharing what we’ve learned.
Online learning, convenient and helpful, alone wasn’t enough. What people valued most were the live events: spaces to talk, connect, and feel heard.
The programme helped individuals grow in confidence and knowledge, and in many cases led to practical changes at work. But lasting, systemic change remains slow, especially where leadership support or resource is lacking.
If workplaces want to truly support staff through menopause, they need to move beyond individual action and bring leadership along with them.
One of the programme’s core ambitions was to bring clinically informed expertise into the everyday spaces where people live and work. The evaluation shows this mattered. Participants responded most positively to live, discussion-based events that created safe, relatable spaces. By combining expert knowledge with local understanding and real-world context, the programme helped translate information into action. Small, practical changes, like adjusting uniforms or offering flexible breaks, came directly from these conversations.
We hope this evaluation offers valuable insight for others working to create more supportive, inclusive workplaces.
Download the full Menopause@Work evaluation here.
If you’re working to make your organisation more menopause-friendly, or curious about how we co-design our projects and services, we’d love to talk: drop us a line at Collab@hereweare.co.uk
We’ve been asking communities what really matters when they’re living with pain. In this update, we share what we heard, what surprised us, and how this learning is shaping a new three-part support offer for MSK pain that starts locally, builds on existing strengths, and is designed together.
What if pain wasn’t just something to manage, but a signal for change? The Kings Fund and Here explore how a “do with” approach can transform pain services – focusing on prevention, connection, and holistic support.
Introducing Rethinking Our Health – a new way of working with communities to support people living with long-term conditions.
The post What works for Menopause in the workplace? Sharing what we’ve learned appeared first on Here.
]]>The post Welcoming Kirsty Coates: Our New Partnership Director for Sussex MSK Health appeared first on Here.
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Here and Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust are delighted to officially welcome Kirsty Coates as Partnership Director for Sussex MSK Health. Kirsty also joins Here’s Enabling Team, bringing a strong track record in service transformation, operational leadership and cross-sector partnership working.
Kirsty is already well-known to many Here.
As our former Head of Operations, she played a key role in shaping innovative services and led the organisation’s COVID-19 vaccination programme. Since then, she has continued to build experience in senior roles across the NHS and voluntary sector, most recently as Operations Director at Social Tech Trust, where she focused on using technology to drive social impact.
In her new role, Kirsty will work in partnership with colleagues across Here, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust and the wider system to lead the development of Sussex MSK Health — an integrated service for people with musculoskeletal conditions across Brighton & Hove and West Sussex. Her focus will be on supporting collaboration, improving outcomes, and ensuring people can access the right care at the right time.
Kirsty’s return to Here is a real asset for the organisation. She brings energy, vision, and deep experience in building partnerships that improve care. It’s been fantastic to see the impact she’s already making in her first weeks, and I’m excited to see what comes next for the MSK service under her leadership.
Helen Curr
CEO of Here
Sussex MSK Health is an innovative partnership bringing together specialist expertise to deliver personalised care support for musculoskeletal health. We are really pleased to have Kirsty join as the new Partnership Director and know her leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future of this new service and in driving continuous improvements in outcomes for our patients.
Kate Pilcher
Chief Operating Officer, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust
Kirsty Coates added: “It’s a real pleasure to return to Here at such an exciting and important time. I’m passionate about working in partnership to develop person-centred, sustainable services, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the next chapter of Sussex MSK Health alongside such a dedicated and talented team.”
We’ve been asking communities what really matters when they’re living with pain. In this update, we share what we heard, what surprised us, and how this learning is shaping a new three-part support offer for MSK pain that starts locally, builds on existing strengths, and is designed together.
What if pain wasn’t just something to manage, but a signal for change? The Kings Fund and Here explore how a “do with” approach can transform pain services – focusing on prevention, connection, and holistic support.
Introducing Rethinking Our Health – a new way of working with communities to support people living with long-term conditions.
The post Welcoming Kirsty Coates: Our New Partnership Director for Sussex MSK Health appeared first on Here.
]]>The post Dementia Action Week 2025: With the Alzheimer’s Society appeared first on Here.
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This Dementia Action Week, the spotlight is on diagnosis, helping people recognise the signs of dementia and take that all-important first step. At Here, we know how important it is that people feel supported not just after diagnosis, but from the moment they’re referred.
That’s why we’ve deepened our partnership with Alzheimer’s Society as part of our work to improve the Memory Assessment Service (MAS) in Brighton & Hove.
Together, we’ve worked to expand our support offer and connect more people to vital support services. From the point of referral, Alzheimer’s Society provides support, practical advice and signposting for people with memory concerns or a diagnosis of dementia and their families.
This partnership complements the work of our MAS team, who continue to offer regular check-ins and What Matters to You conversations. With increasing demand for memory assessments, this joined-up approach has helped us deliver care that is timely, person-centred and grounded in dignity.
We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together so far and committed to building on it, so that no one has to face the waiting period alone and everyone accessing our service feels informed, supported and seen.
We are delighted to be working in partnership with Here. Together we can help many more people to get the right support, at the right time.
Carrie Holmes
South East England Regional Manger at Alzheimer’s Society
We’ve been asking communities what really matters when they’re living with pain. In this update, we share what we heard, what surprised us, and how this learning is shaping a new three-part support offer for MSK pain that starts locally, builds on existing strengths, and is designed together.
What if pain wasn’t just something to manage, but a signal for change? The Kings Fund and Here explore how a “do with” approach can transform pain services – focusing on prevention, connection, and holistic support.
Introducing Rethinking Our Health – a new way of working with communities to support people living with long-term conditions.
The post Dementia Action Week 2025: With the Alzheimer’s Society appeared first on Here.
]]>The post Celebrating Natalie Blunt: A pioneer of personalised MSK care in Sussex appeared first on Here.
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After more than a decade of visionary leadership, Natalie Blunt is moving on from her role as Managing Director of Sussex MSK Partnership Central and as a member of the Here board. As she steps away, we want to take a moment to reflect on her immense contribution, celebrate the legacy she leaves, and simply say: thank you, Natalie.
Natalie has been with Here for 15 years, dedicating her career to transforming musculoskeletal (MSK) care both locally and nationally. She has spent the last five years as Director of MSK services, and her expertise, clarity of purpose, and relentless focus on people have made a lasting mark on everything we do.
She has been at the heart of Sussex MSK Partnership Central since its formation in 2014, a bold and innovative joint venture between Here and Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust. Under her leadership, what began as an ambitious idea has grown into a national exemplar of joined-up, person-centred MSK care for a population of over 1 million people in Sussex.
Throughout her time with us, Natalie has championed MSK health as a vital part of overall wellbeing, not just something to treat, but something to prioritise. She’s driven a whole-person approach, seeing beyond symptoms to the lives behind them. As she often reminded us, “an elbow never walked into a treatment room on its own.” It’s that clarity, always putting people first, that has shaped the service we are so proud of today.
Natalie with Laura Finucane
There have been many standout moments along Natalie’s MSK journey with Here.
In 2015, Natalie helped usher in a national first, recruiting a Patient Director. This groundbreaking move placed people with lived experience at the centre of service design and paved the way for our innovative Health Builders Programme.
2019 was a year of celebration. The partnership won an HSJ Partnership Award and was rated Outstanding by the CQC, a reflection of the excellence she helped cultivate every day as Deputy MD.
During the most challenging days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Natalie led the team to proactively redeploy MSK expertise to support the urgent care system, a testament to her ability to see the bigger picture and act swiftly in the face of crisis.
In 2022, she co-authored The CASE for Change, a landmark publication with Laura Finucane that laid out a compelling vision for excellence in MSK care. Its influence continues to resonate across clinical and commissioning communities alike.
And in 2023, Sussex MSK Partnership Central was recognised again; this time with a HealthTech Award, highlighting how innovation and compassion can go hand in hand.
One of Natalie’s most celebrated achievements came with the creation of our Community Appointment Days, a new, person-focused approach that made national headlines and is now a model now emulated across the sector.
In 2024/25, Natalie played a key role in developing and launching Sussex MSK Health: Brighton, Hove and West Sussex, expanding our innovative approach to MSK care to serve a population of over one million people.
Natalie at an MSK conference
Natalie’s leadership has been defined by clarity of vision, fierce advocacy for personalised care, and a deep belief in the power of partnership. She has shown us what it means to lead with purpose and to act courageously.
As a board member at Here, Natalie also brought energy, wisdom and challenge, helping ensure our work stayed connected to our vision and values. Her presence will be deeply missed, but her influence will continue to shape our work for years to come.
“Natalie’s leadership has shaped a remarkable chapter in MSK care — one defined by innovation, compassion, and a deep commitment to people. She’s challenged us to think differently, to design services that truly reflect the lives of the people we serve, and to never lose sight of our purpose. Her impact on Here, and on MSK care across Sussex, will be felt for years to come.”
— Helen Curr, Chief Executive, Here
We’ve been asking communities what really matters when they’re living with pain. In this update, we share what we heard, what surprised us, and how this learning is shaping a new three-part support offer for MSK pain that starts locally, builds on existing strengths, and is designed together.
What if pain wasn’t just something to manage, but a signal for change? The Kings Fund and Here explore how a “do with” approach can transform pain services – focusing on prevention, connection, and holistic support.
Introducing Rethinking Our Health – a new way of working with communities to support people living with long-term conditions.
The post Celebrating Natalie Blunt: A pioneer of personalised MSK care in Sussex appeared first on Here.
]]>The post Partnering with Age UK: Making dementia care more accessible appeared first on Here.
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We know that getting a dementia diagnosis can be tough. Waiting lists are long, private options are expensive, and too many people are left without the answers and support they need. That’s why we’re proud to work with Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, a trusted organisation dedicated to supporting older people, to make expert dementia assessments more accessible in Sussex.
At Here, we run the Brighton & Hove Memory Assessment Service (MAS), part of the NHS’s vital network of dementia diagnosis and support. We know first-hand how essential these services are and how stretched they can be. Demand is high, and while we continue to innovate within our MAS service, the reality is that the NHS operates with limited finances. This means capacity is constrained, and waiting lists for NHS memory assessments can be long.
Right now, around 40% of people over 65 with dementia remain undiagnosed in the UK. That means thousands of people in Sussex are navigating life without the right support, missing out on treatment, guidance, and the chance to plan for the future. An early diagnosis can make all the difference, not just for the person with dementia but for their family and support network, too. It opens the door to practical help, medical care, and a better quality of life.
This is where alternative options, like our collaboration with Age UK, can make a real difference. By complementing NHS services, we give people more choice, ensuring that more people can get the answers and support they need, without unnecessary delays.
Our collaboration combines Here’s clinical expertise in dementia assessment with Age UK’s trusted support for older people. Age UK WSBH is an independent charity dedicated to helping people over 50 stay independent, informed, and connected. From practical advice and information to social clubs and wellbeing support, their work helps older people make the most of life. For over a decade, Here has delivered dementia services built on compassion, trust, and person-centred care. This partnership allows us to expand that work, ensuring people feel heard, respected, and supported throughout their journey.
As a first step, we have launched The Dementia Clinic, a not-for-profit, paid-for service that offers the highest standards of compassionate care while keeping costs as low as possible. We focus on people, not profit, as two not-for-profit, purpose-driven organisations. We are committed to making dementia assessments more accessible by:
Our vision is simple: a dementia care system that puts people first. We want to give people control over their care, provide real alternatives to long waiting lists, and reinvest in services that reach even more people. This partnership is a significant step towards making this happen.
Too many people wait too long for a dementia assessment, often feeling lost in the process. By working together, we can change that. Here’s clinical expertise, combined with Age UK’s trusted community support, offers people a fair, high-quality alternative that puts them in control of their care. We’re committed to working with the NHS, our communities, and trusted partners like Age UK to ensure that real needs and lived experiences shape their care services.
Helen Curr
CEO at
Here
We know we can’t fix everything overnight. But by working with partners like Age UK, listening to the people who need these services, and challenging the barriers to access, we can make a real difference.
If you’d like to learn more about our partnership or working with Here, drop us a line at collab@hereweare.org.uk. If you’re looking for expert dementia support, find out more about The Dementia Clinic.
Like many of us delivering healthcare in collaboration with the NHS, hospices are experiencing the dilemma of not being an NHS organisation but needing to know our way around the landscape of data as if they are.
As a social enterprise dedicated to transforming healthcare through data analytics, we are thrilled to share the inspiring story of Aaron Salter, winner of the Digital Champion Award at the Hospice UK Conference 2024.
We are proud to announce we will be supporting Hospice UK and their awards conference, celebrating the brilliant talent of the sector. It is our great pleasure to be sponsoring the Digital Champion Award.
The post Partnering with Age UK: Making dementia care more accessible appeared first on Here.
]]>The post Statement regarding the reported comments made by Frank Hester appeared first on Here.
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We are appalled by the reported comments made by Frank Hester, CEO of TPP. Like many NHS providers, TPP are a provider of our SystmOne electronic patient record.
Dr Helen Curr our CEO and the Here board said
“The reported comments are unmistakably misogynistic, racist and unacceptable. As a social enterprise these comments are in stark contrast with the values we champion in everything we do. We believe our leaders set the standard for what is acceptable – both in what they say, and what is allowed to pass unchallenged.”
As a result we will be contacting TPP to make a formal complaint, and to request detail of the steps they will take as an organisation to ensure an inclusive, respectful environment within their organisation, and how they will make their action plans publicly available.
We urge all organisations working with TPP to consider taking similar action – to speak out and challenge views that have no place in healthcare, or within our society, and to use this opportunity to take a collective stance on what passes for acceptable in public life.
We’ve been asking communities what really matters when they’re living with pain. In this update, we share what we heard, what surprised us, and how this learning is shaping a new three-part support offer for MSK pain that starts locally, builds on existing strengths, and is designed together.
What if pain wasn’t just something to manage, but a signal for change? The Kings Fund and Here explore how a “do with” approach can transform pain services – focusing on prevention, connection, and holistic support.
Discover how one mother’s visit to Sussex Community Dermatology Service showed the power of care that listens, understands, and truly makes a difference.
The post Statement regarding the reported comments made by Frank Hester appeared first on Here.
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