Seafarers Hospital Society has developed and implemented a number of exciting health development projects, and innovative pilot programmes. Here are details of six of those past projects.
Fitness programmes for older seafarers
A six-month pilot fitness programme was delivered by the Physical Initiative at Care Ashore’s Springbok Estate, resulting in encouraging improvements in the heart health, strength and total body water levels of those taking part. As a result the Society subsequently partnered with Age UK to deliver the ‘Fit as a Fiddle’ programme at a number of seafarers’ residences, and Care Ashore itself has adopted a developing fitness, health and wellbeing programme.
Bridlington fishing community Health Trainer
Sponsored by the Society, NHS Humber had a part-time Health Trainer working directly with fishers and their families in Bridlington and the surrounding area. This was a free service providing one-to-one advice and support on a range of health issues including smoking cessation, healthy eating and alcohol reduction.
Better health for older seafarers
This collaborative project involved a health adviser focusing specifically on the health needs of former seafarers throughout the Merseyside area, and included the mapping of local health services in partnership with the then local Primary Care Trusts. Lessons from this project were incorporated into case worker training and circulated to local care providers.
Healthy eating for fishers
The Society collaborated with The Fishermen’s Mission, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Norfolk NHS, to pilot a project at a number of ports promoting safety, health and wellbeing. This included a particular focus on healthy eating, with a view to encouraging fishers to eat more healthily.
Female seafarers’ health and welfare
In a joint initiative with the International Maritime Health Association, International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network and the International Transport Workers Federation, this project looked at the health and welfare needs of female seafarers, and how organisations can best improve the information and services available to them.
Norfolk outreach project providing health checks for fishers
The Society collaborated with The Fishermen’s Mission and Norfolk Public Health to provide health checks and advice to fishermen at quayside locations in Norfolk. The project offered an example for other coastal areas with fishing communities to potentially follow. Almost a third of fishers who took part were referred to their GP for further investigations of cardiovascular disease risk, raised blood pressure or cholesterol levels, with many referrals also to the local Health Trainer service for support with lifestyle issues such as smoking, drinking or weight control.
