Press release

     Monday 10 September 2018

CNWL Mental Health Student launches Live More: Mental Health Fitness Programme

Matt Waugh, who works on the PICU Ward at St Charles Hospital has been awarded a place on the King's20 Accelerator for developing the Live More Service, providing daily supported exercise for inpatients with mental health difficulties.

Matt said: "The aim for Live More is for regular and enjoyable physical activity to become part of how we treat severe mental illness. Daily supported exercise for longer, healthier and happier lives."

The King's20 Accelerator is a year-long accelerator programme aimed at supporting the 20 brightest ventures from King's to reach their potential.

Matt would like to work with the Live More service full time upon graduation. He was inspired to set up the project following his placements on different wards at St Charles Mental Health Unit. Matt noticed that, despite the wards having gyms and open spaces such as gardens, patients weren't using them to their full potential. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that regular physical activity improves mental health conditions.

In the longer term, Matt would like to create a programme that can be used in the community to help patients continue to exercise once they are discharged. Working alongside GPs, community nursing teams and fitness instructors, regular exercise can become an important part of patient care plans in the treatment of severe mental illness.

Matt is currently facilitating the project, providing enjoyable daily exercise to inpatients at St Charles. The pilot scheme for Live More will continue to run as part of the King's 20 Accelerator from October 2018-19, after which Matt hopes to pilot the model at other sites.

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 7,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. For more information about CNWL, please visit our website:www.cnwl.nhs.uk

For information, contact Alisha Nurse on 020 3214 5764 oralisha.nurse@nhs.net