Dumfries & Galloway Health & Social Care

Health & Wellbeing Teams

Welcome to NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s information page on Health Improvement. We hope you find the page useful and welcome any suggestions for improvement

What we do

Health is more than the absence of disease. Good health is a combination of many different factors including mental, emotional, physical and social wellbeing.

Our main functions in health improvement are to, protect good health, to prevent ill health and to promote better health for the people of Dumfries and Galloway

We know that many different things can affect health including social, environmental and economic factors. There are health inequalities in our society; people who are less well off and are classed in lower socio economic groups tend to have poorer health than those in the higher socio economic groups. NHS Dumfries and Galloway are committed to reducing these health inequalities.

We work with multi agency partners including education, social services, police, prisons, voluntary organisations and communities and across sectors (statutory, private and third) to develop projects, programmes and services to improve health.

Local Teams

There are four Local Health Improvement Teams, one based in each Local Health Partnership. The local teams are based in Annan, Dumfries, Castle Douglas and Stranraer.

The key aim of the local teams is to improve the health and wellbeing of the people living and working in the localities by taking forward initiatives and work programmes, based on local needs, and to contribute to reducing health inequalities.

Contact details of the Local Health Improvement Teams are available below. 

Annandale And Eskdale

Annandale and Eskdale Health Improvement Team

In Annandale and Eskdale we work in partnership with people, communities and organisations to improve health and wellbeing and to address and reduce health inequalities.

Contact
Annandale & Eskdale Health Improvement Team
Annan Health Centre
Stapleton Road
Annan DG12 6FB
Tel 01461 207728 / 01461 204741

Key activities include:

  • Community Link Service – one to one support and signposting
  • Community Developments – support to develop community projects, services, groups and initiatives that meet the needs of local people.
  • Food and Health Support – one to one and group support and sessions around food and health and adult and child weight management.
  • Communication and Information – up to date information about health services and initiatives and activities.

Nithsdale

Contact 

Public Health Improvement Team
The Oliphant Centre for Health Improvement
Lochfield Road Primary Care Centre
12-28 Lochfield Road
Dumfries

Tel: 01387 244401
E-mail: dg.nithsdalehit@nhs.scot

Stewartry

Who are we?
Stewartry Health and Wellbeing team is part of Health & Social Care Partnership. We are a small team based at Garden Hill Primary Care Centre in Castle Douglas. We work closely with our colleagues across Health, Social Care, Independent and Third Sector and local communities. Our main aim is to work with people living and working in Stewartry to maintain and improve their own health and wellbeing. The focus of our work includes:

  • 1:1 support through Healthy Connections
  • Promotion of activities available locally to support health and wellbeing
  • Working with staff to increase their knowledge and skills to support people in communities to maintain their overall wellbeing
  • Working with communities to identify and develop opportunities which have a positive impact on health and wellbeing

Community Development
Part of our role involves working with communities and organisations to develop projects and initiatives which have a positive impact on wellbeing. This involves supporting with project coordination, evaluation and connecting people and communities. Areas can include reducing social isolation, healthy living, physical activity and increasing opportunity for meaningful use of time. We utilise existing community resources and by working with rather than for our communities; we help to build resilient communities, working on what matters to them.

Healthy Connections
Healthy Connections links people to community groups/activities and other public and third sector organisations in their local area, as a way of helping people feel more connected within the community and to improve their wellbeing.
Healthy Connections is for people over 18 years of age who feel they would benefit from some support. In particular, it will aim to support those who are experiencing stress and low mood as a result of life circumstances such as bereavement and social isolation.
For more information, please see attached leaflet.
If you feel you would benefit from Healthy Connections you can ask your GP, Social Worker or any other health professional to make a referral on your behalf. Alternatively you can contact the team to explore a self referral, please see contact details below.
Contact Us
Stewartry Health and Wellbeing Team
Garden Hill Primary Care Centre
2 Garden Hill Road
Castle Douglas
DG7 3EE

Tel: 01556 505724

Email (for Healthy Connections): dg.HCS@nhs.scot

Wigtownshire

Contact

Wigtownshire Health Improvement Team
LHP Offices
Victoria Place
Stranraer
DG9 7HX

Tel: 01776 707737

 More information can be found on social media:  Facebook @wigtownshireHSCT