The Royal College of GPs and Sport England have teamed up to create the Active Practice Charter to inspire and celebrate GP practices that are taking steps to increase activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in patients and staff.

Made possible with funding from the Sport Council Trust Company, the Active Medicine in Practice (AMiP) project has supported three medical practices in the Bucks, Oxon, Berks (BOB) area to join the national network of practices making positive changes in their surgeries to boost staff and patient wellbeing.

Get Berkshire Active have been supporting Kintbury and Woolton Hill GP Surgery in West Berkshire over the last 6 months to achieve the Active Practice Charter status by taking steps to:

a. Reduce sedentary behaviour in staff;

b. Reduce sedentary behaviour in patients;

c. Increase physical activity in staff;

d. Increase physical activity in patients; and

e. Partnering with a local physical activity provider.

On 6th September Kinbury and Woolton Hill's application met the Active Practice Charter criteria and they can now proudly call themselves an Active Practice!

Get Berkshire Active worked with Kintbury and Woolton Hill surgery to develop a bespoke package of support enabling them to meet the criteria of accreditation. Support from GBA has included physical activity awareness training, membership to the Workplace Movement Platform, standing desks, bike racks, pedal exercisers, waiting room video and signposting and resources.

As a commissioned pilot project, an independent external evaluator was appointed to determine the value of support by an Active Partnership in working towards Active Practice Charter status.

Dr Heather Howells, (Partner and trainer - Kintbury and Woolton Hill Surgeries &GP Clinical Lead - Mental health, dementia and learning disabilities - Berkshire West CCG) said " Being selected to take part in the project was so exciting and the experience has lived up to that initial feeling of joy. It was so good to focus on something beneficial to patients and our team, that could have such a positive impact on our health and well-being and being supported to do so really helped keep us on track. Seeing patients using the pedal machines in the waiting room was brilliant and we have had some excellent positive feedback about them especially !

The focus on some team events and days really brought us together and strengthened our bond as a team. I hope this is just the start as we have lots more exciting things planned to keep us active and well."

The Royal College of General Practitioners said they "were impressed and inspired by the quality of Kintbury and Woolton Hill Surgery's application, especially at such a challenging time for GP practices".

Now more than ever it's vital that healthcare professionals support their patients and staff to be as active as possible for their physical and mental health, - the more practices that are prescribing the wonder drug that is physical activity, the healthier and happier our communities will become.

Achieving the RCGP Active Practice Charter is something to be celebrated, and shared widely with staff, patients, and the wider community. It's a great example of social prescribing 'in action'.

Further information and support:

• Access a free video resource for your GP practice waiting room: Get Berkshire Active - Active Medicine Programme
• Becoming an Active Practice
• For more details on Get Berkshire Active's work in this area please contact cathy.carr@getberkshireactive.org
• Physical Activity and Lifestyle hub – this brings together resources, case studies, tips and much more in one place to help support the 'movement for movement' in surgeries across the country.
• Workplace Movement - Helping organisations see the business benefits of an active workforce, Reducing sedentary behaviour and encouraging an active lifestyle, improving health and wellbeing with less stress in the workplace.