Today on the Conveners I interview Dr Coral Hanson following a knowledge exchange event at Edinburgh Napier University where Coral was presenting learning from the Scottish Activity Referral Standards study that she has been leading. The study is looking at ways the standards can be applied to inform, enhance and improve physical activity referral schemes, known as PARS.
The standards were developed by the Napier team and are applicable across Scotland. This study is helping to increase the understanding around what works best to help participants increase activity. Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Government are involved and both presented at the event which was great to see. Dr Coral Hanson has worked with the likes of North Country Leisure, Blyth Leisure and Mark Tweedie and others south of the border on referral schemes over the years but more recently has been working on this project.
Her extensive experience and knowledge around the subject is fascinating, and during this interview Coral raises some interesting, and sometimes challenging, conclusions. I couldn’t help but feel that Scotland are undoubtedly leading the way on the issue of PARS with these standards and around collaborating effectively to collate best practice.
Surely, we need to learn from Scotland south of the border and collaborate effectively to ensure that across the UK and beyond we are really upping the levels of quality across all of our referral schemes as we strive to work more effectively with health and social care? I’d love to know what you think.
