• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

A Half and a Heart Check Propping Up the Bar Could Save Your Life Thanks to an Innovative Scheme Being Trialled in Dundee. By Lorna MacLaren

Posted on: Monday, 19 September 2005, 06:00 CDT

JACKIE Barbour is used to being stared at in pubs. She is, however, far from flamboyant. The intrepid nurse ventures into busy hostelries to meet potential patients - especially male patients.

Men may live, on average, six years fewer than women but they are notoriously reluctant to seek care. Barbour and her colleague, Virginia Samson, are part of a team tackling that reticence by bringing mini health clinics to unusual venues around their community in Dundee. That includes going to the pub.

"Curious eyes will watch you over a pint glass, "Barbour laughs. "I'm not one for going out drinking but I must have been in dozens of bars across the city by now. I'm quite knowledgeable about them, which amuses my husband. The downside is that I come out reeking of smoke but it's worth it for the mix of people we reach."

She and Samson, communityhealth nurses, are part of a team of therapists, education workers and mental health experts, among others, in a unique, four-year project involving NHS Tayside, Dundee City Council and St Andrews University.

Although men are the primary targets in the pubs, the health messages and clinics are open to everyone - male and female.

Barbour relishes the challenge of taking NHS care directly to people and hosts three-hour, weekly clinics in Dundee's Wellgate Shopping Centre as well as turning up in supermarkets and even local parks if there is a health fair on.

Men, on the whole, have similar health concerns as women - apart from contraception advice - so skin ailments, acute upper respiratory infections, hypertension and depression all figure in their consultations. However, Barbour and Samson have identified that problems related to fitness, diet, alcohol and stress are particularly evident in men. But, it seems, they are not addressing those issues.

Recent statistics show that 43% of men in Scotland are overweight, with a further 20% classified as obese, putting them at risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.

"Myself and Virginia have been overwhelmed by the response from the men we have met, " Barbour says. You find that they are initially puzzled by our presence in the pub but, once they get talking, they are keen to ask us questions.

"Men can bring up problems such as depression with us, which they admit they've been ignoring for a long time."

She adds: "We have women who come over to us in these settings, too. They are also keen to stop for a chat or a health check if we are in Wellgate Centre. Our shopping centre visits are especially good for many people who wouldn't go to mainstream medical services."

Barbour has been in nursing since she was 17 and has trained as a midwife, worked in intensive care units and is a qualified health visitor.

Herwide-ranging experience is crucial in dealing with the types of ailments people want to discuss.

"On our rounds, we have equipment to weigh and measure people, check their body mass index, which checks obesity levels, and look at their diet.

"While meeting members of the public outside of normal doctor's surgery, I have detected dangerously high blood pressure on several occasions, advised on mentalhealth worries and given advice on prostate cancer awareness. In urgent cases, we refer patients to a GP or give them details of appropriate groups meeting in their areas."

She adds: "I know bars are not the healthiest of venues but we are non-judgmental and are meeting patients on their turf. People know our faces now and will shout hello across the road to us.

"Often those we've referred from our clinics will come back and let us know how they've got on with appointments at theirGP or at hospital. Others have lost stones in weight after talking to us about healthy eating."

John, a Dundonian, feels he has benefited from the informal clinics.

"It is easy to speak to the nurses as they don't put pressure on you, " he says. "It is relaxing just sitting around the table having a chat, but we do cover lots of health subjects. It means I feel safe talking. The health centre can feel strained."

Jodie Tolmie manages the busy Ferrari's Bar near Dundee city centre. She admits that, when Jackie and Virginia approached her about holding a clinic there, she was sceptical.

"I didn't think my customers would go for it at all, but I'd say that around 90% of people in the bar that day had their blood pressure taken and a health check done.

"It was clear the men wouldn't have bothered to go to their GP for this but they were a captive audience. I'm still a bit shocked by how successful it was and would be happy to do it again."

This summer, Men's Health Week was launched across Scotland, focusing on a variety of issues but particularly the soaring rate of obesity.

In response, NHS GreaterGlasgow began a Wellman programme, planned to run until next year, at eight centres across the city. The schemes are aimed at encouraging men of all ages to seek regular health checks. NHS figures indicate that males aged 15 to 24 are the group most unlikely to visit theirGP.

The manager of the Dundee project is Beverly Black. She says: "Our staff are working to break down barriers between the public and health care.

While we will advise on problems people are suffering, we also are aiming to prevent illness before it happens by doing routine health tests.

"For those who are depressed or feeling isolated, we can pass them details of relevant support groups in their area and help them make contact with others."

Jackie Barbour is getting ready to go to the pub once more. So, why are men are so reluctant to see a doctor when they need to? She says she still hasn't figured it out.

"I've asked male patients this so many times and it seems to boil down to a phrase I've heard repeated by individuals over the years, 'Big boys don't cry'."

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

A simple, regular self-check could help men detect the early signs of testicular cancer:

Do regular checks. Know what is normal for you and what changes to look out for, such as a hard lump on the testicle, swelling, an increase in firmness, pain or discomfort. Report any changes without delay.

Diabetes - main symptoms:

fatigue and lethargy; thirst; the need to urinate all the time; weight loss; itchiness, especially around the genitals; blurred vision.

Depression - symptoms: a persistent feeling of sadness; loss of interest in life; feelings of guilt;

feeling worthless; difficulties with memory and concentration.

Prostate problems - symptoms: a weak, interrupted urine flow;

having to wait before you start to go or urinating more often.

Useful site: www. malehealth. co. uk Men's Health Forum:

info@mhfs. org. uk

Source: Herald, The; Glasgow (UK)

More News in this Category