“IT’S OK TO ASK” Make Every Contact Count. NHS Midlands and East What is MECC? Make Every Contact Count (MECC) is about staff using the contact they have.

“IT’S OK TO ASK”Make Every Contact Count

NHS Midlands and East

What is MECC?

Make Every Contact Count (MECC) is about staff using the contact they have with service users and the public to give healthy lifestyle information around stopping smoking, drinking alcohol only within recommended limits, having a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and undertaking the recommended levels of physical activity.

At [your organisation] we have trained xxx staff to have brief conversations with others about lifestyle issues

NHS Midlands and East

Why it’s important A person following all four healthy

lifestyles choices would live on average 14 years longer than those who followed none

Every day staff have millions of contacts with people that could be used to offer appropriate information on staying healthy

The NHS workforce can act as ‘ambassadors’ for healthy lifestyles, cutting lifestyle preventable disease.

“If I was already thinking about doing or changing something it might be a good push”

Patient

NHS Midlands and East

The campaign

• Developed following research (social marketing insight) carried out by NHS Midlands and East to identify the barriers to giving and receiving lifestyle advice

• Developed in collaboration with staff and patients to ensure that the images and messages used conveyed a clear message to the public.

Issue: We should give patients and the public permission to raise lifestyle issues.Message: “It’s OK to ask”

Issue: We need to let service users and the public know that we may talk to them about their lifestyle issues.Message: “Don’t be surprised if we ask”

NHS Midlands and East

Materials A poster campaign to:

• Let people know that our staff may talk to them about their lifestyles – no matter what their original appointment is about

• reassure the public that they can talk to our staff about lifestyle issues that are concerning them.

And a press release to let our public know about MECC at our organisation

[EDIT AS APPROPRIATE] We have also issued ‘it’s ok to ask’ yellow lanyards to staff so that patients know who to ask for help.

NHS Midlands and East

“It’s OK to ask” - posters

About:•Alcohol•Healthy Eating•Weight•Physical Activity•Smoking

NHS Midlands and East

Don’t be surprised if we talk to you about your lifestyle

• Consultation?• Inpatient?• Rehab?• Day Case?• Out Patient?• Pre-Op?

NHS Midlands and East

Other communications materials

• High visibility safety lanyard with the “It’s OK to Ask” message • Pre-printed Post-it notes for staff to use when signposting patients

to lifestyle services• Banner pens with MECC prompts for staff• Pocket prompt cards with prompts for staff

NHS Midlands and East

More information:Communications toolkits and artwork for all materials (including adaptable posters) are available from NHS local learning and NHS Midlands and East website at:

http://nhs.lc/makingeverycontactcount

http://www.midlandsandeast.nhs.uk/OurAmbitions/Everycontactcounts/Communications.aspx

For more information on MECC contact your Implementation Lead: Add Implementation Lead email address