FROME has again made the news, this time receiving praise in The New York Times for its ‘innovative approach’ to mental health with its fight against loneliness.
The focus of the story is Frome Medical Practice’s work to improve the emotional wellbeing of their patients by using community connections and volunteer groups to help people deal with such problems as loneliness and social isolation, which has been credited for reducing emergency hospital admissions in the town.
“While many cities have vibrant community networks, the unusual thing about Frome’s initiative is the role of the medical practice in mobilizing them as part of a deliberate strategy to strengthen patients’ resilience and well-being,” says The New York Times’ Peter Wilson.
The article praises Frome for creating a ‘worldwide network against loneliness’, leading a growing movement to better incorporate nonclinical solutions into medical care.
And it highlights that the town’s work has been studied and replicated across the UK and globally, with the Frome team sharing information with groups from Hong Kong, Colombia, Italy, Australia, Denmark, Portugal, and both Ontario and British Columbia, Canada.
The piece interviews Dr Helen Kingston from Frome Medical Practice, who set up the project in 2013, mayor cllr Andy Wrintmore, and local health connector Will Palmer; it also mentions a number of community initiatives including the Men’s Shed, the community fridge and the Frome Coat Rack.
However, amongst the praise, the story mistakenly refers to Frome as ‘a small city in England’!
“We are delighted that the fantastic work undertaken by our Health Connections team with other members of the practice team, numerous local organisations, people who live and work in Frome and the leadership of Dr Helen Kingston, has been featured in The New York Times,” said the medical centre’s practice manager, Karen Creffield. “And yes – Frome is a town, not a city!”
Mayor of Frome, cllr Andy Wrintmore – who also made headlines across the UK after he was hailed as the ‘punk rock mayor’ by KERRANG! magazine – added, “It’s always a pleasure to host the world’s media when they come to Frome to see how things are done.
“It was certainly a joy to be speaking to an esteemed journalistic institution such as The New York Times and to share our stories and maybe inspire positive change and work elsewhere in the world.
“Frome is no stranger to the world stage and rightly so, it’s one of the many honours I have as mayor to represent us and spread the word of all the incredible work that happens and the talent that Frome possesses.”
To read the story in full, visit The New York Times’ website: www.nytimes.com/2021/12/15/business/england-city-fights-isolation.html
