The North Norfolk Waiting Well Project

Date published: 18th November 2022

Working in partnership with both the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, the Council is launching the North Norfolk Waiting Well Project.

The project aims to provide support to residents in North Norfolk who are currently waiting to be seen or treated for a knee or hip condition under the care of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. This will ensure residents live as safely and independently as possible until their treatment and during recovery.

Support may be available directly from the Council or through a referral to a partner organisation.

This support could come in many different forms, including:

• Arranging care alarm system or key-safe installation
• Providing equipment to make daily tasks safer or easier
• Information about housing adaptation grants
• Help to cope with loneliness and social isolation
• Helping with benefits support and how to make a claim
• Finding ways to stay active or get active for treatment
• Planning for recovery from treatment
• Arranging care requirements or support for a carer

The Council has appointed a Waiting Well Officer who will contact all the residents on the waiting list to offer a telephone appointment to better understand the help they may require.

Similar projects have been previously set up through the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board in conjunction with the Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council and South Norfolk and Broadland Councils.

Residents in these three districts have benefitted considerably from this collaborative approach to helping people wait well.

Nathan Benedettini, Waiting Well Officer, NNDC, said:

“Waiting for treatment can cause a range of difficulties in people's lives, such as losing income from being unable to work or feeling isolated and cut off from communities.

“We hope that by targeting help early to these people, we can improve their quality of life while they wait and help them stay as physically and emotionally fit as possible for their treatment.”

Virginia Gay, portfolio holder for Leisure, Wellbeing and Culture, said:

“When you are waiting for treatment, you can feel very alone and very anxious. But at North Norfolk District Council, we will be doing our best to help those who are in this situation. We hope that the Waiting Well Project and our new officer will make life easier for many of our residents.”

Everyone on the waiting list will be contacted, but if you wish to, you can contact our Waiting Well Officer, Nathan Benedettini, on 01263 516003 or email nathan.benedettini@north-norfolk.gov.uk for more information.