Health inequalities in East Dorset are to be tackled thanks to a £110,000 grant.

There will be a 24-month long project through a prevention programme based at the Dorset Health Village in partnership with Active Dorset.

Dorset Health Village is a recently created outpatient assessment clinic based on the top floor of Beales Department Store in the Dolphin Centre, Poole.

The clinic is part of University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trusts’ ‘Think Big’ initiative to address waiting lists and bring diagnostic services closer to the community.

The grant will be used to offer support to patients accessing the Dorset Health Village who are experiencing health inequalities including a reduced life span, greater vulnerability to colds and infections and living with certain health conditions.

The funding will enable three key elements to be delivered: improving access to healthcare, supporting patients to recover quicker from NHS treatment by supporting them becoming fitter for operations and empowering patients to have a role in their care and supply them with easy tools to improve their quality of life. To achieve this, the programme will include promotion of healthy lifestyles and the importance of health and wellbeing and behaviour change techniques to increase physical activity, promote healthy weight, stopping smoking and reducing drinking.

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity has been awarded the funding from NHS Charities Together via Dorset County Hospital Charity in association with Dorset Community Foundation.

The funding was awarded as part of a £355,000 grant awarded to Dorset through NHS Charities Together’s Community Partnership Grants Programme in recognition of the vital work that voluntary and community groups do to support the work of the NHS. NHS Charities Together is an organisation made up of 240 NHS member charities based within hospitals, mental health trusts, ambulance trusts, community health trusts and health boards across the UK.

The total cost of delivering the project is £215,700 with the balance being funded by Active Dorset. The £110,000 grant will be used to fund a range of items which will enable the success of the programme including a project coordinator, volunteer training, digital health support tools, pedal bikes and lifestyle survey software.

Debbie Anderson, head of University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity said: “We are thrilled to be working with NHS Charities Together and Active Dorset to achieve such a fantastic project which will have a significant impact on improving access to health services for our communities.”