Health Development

The objectives of our Health Development Service are to promote health & wellbeing and to reduce health inequalities. We do this by: providing information to help people manage their conditions more effectively, facilitating better access to services through language support and helping people to utilise NHS apps, providing facilities for activities that promote physical health and wellbeing, and advocating for barriers to health services to be understood and addressed by public sector agencies responsible for health and wellbeing. 

Our health development services are funded by Birmingham & Solihull ICS and are available to all Birmingham residents.   We also work with Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust to improve hospital services for Chinese patients.    

Support to Access NHS Services 

We can provide interpreters for health appointments.  If our interpreters are unavailable, we can book an interpreter with the GP, hospital or other health setting on your behalf.  

Our Health interpreting service is free of charge for those who live in Birmingham or who are registered with a Birmingham GP. We also help to order prescriptions and read medical appointment letters.   

GP surgeries are increasingly encouraging patients to use online services.  If you have a smartphone or tablet, we can help you set up accounts and show you how to do basic tasks such as re-ordering prescriptions or booking routine appointments.  

Health Champions

Launching in Autumn 2023, our new Chinese Community Health Champions project aims to improve health outcomes by training and supporting volunteers to share vital health information through their social networks. Volunteers need to be able to understand English and have at least one Chinese dialect (Cantonese/Hakka/Mandarin).  An interest in helping other people is essential but training and support in everything else will be provided. 

Interested? Please contact our service development manager: Kate Gordon or support worker Hayley Fung if you would prefer to communicate in Chinese.

The Health Champions project is funded by an NHS Fairer Futures grant managed by Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Council for Voluntary Services.