This project is funded by the Primary Care Trusts and the Irish Government’s DION fund.
Some of the clients, usually the older isolated Irish men, neglect their health needs and have a fear and dislike to going to the Doctors. The Link Workers develop a relationship of trust with the clients, enabling them to register and attend appointments with a GP, until they have the confidence of attending any medical appointment by themselves.
The Link Workers also support clients who have been diagnosed with serious illness, encouraging them to attend hospitals for treatments, supporting clients to attend various kinds of optician appointments. Assisting clients through the process of obtaining adaptations for their home to enable them to have a better quality of life and being able to resolve difficult issues when some clients may not want to register with a GP or the GP may be reluctant to accept them on their list.
Good relationships have been, and are continuing to be, built up with GP surgeries, and in particular Dr Mohammed Walji, of the Balsall Heath Health Centre, who has worked very closely with IWIC to raise the standard of health care within the Irish community
The Link Workers have been very successful in developing skills in working with many hard to reach people who have not been able to access mainstream services due to their emotional, physical and psychological attitudes and behaviour.
