Dee Morris, community health and wellbeing champion is passionate about improving the lives of people in Pollards Hill, Merton. Not only does she work in GP surgeries, she also helps residents when they are shopping in the supermarket or visiting their housing office, library and youth centre.
Dee works at a variety of different venues in Pollards Hill including Wideway Medical Centre.
Read more about the work of champions in other areas.
Since Dee started over a year ago, she has helped many residents reach the services they need to tackle isolation, the cost of living, high blood pressure and diabetes. Her role is part funded by a local housing provider bringing health and housing together, which has not happened before.
She has run regular coffee mornings for carers, support groups for those affected by cancer, a successful three-day liver screening event and a weekly 90-minute walk-and-talk group which has just celebrated its first year.
Dee said: “I’ve shaped this new role, a first in Merton to meet the needs of the community and empower and educate as issues were identified. Many residents were unaware of what support is available and how to reach it. I aim to be a catalyst for change in partnership with health services, the voluntary sector, and the main housing provider in Pollards Hill – Moat Housing.”
One resident Dee helped was facing a mental health crisis. She explained “He was wary of going to seek medical advice. I built up a relationship with him and gained his trust and one day I found him in severe distress. Because of my role in the surgery, I was able to share concerns with the GP and took him in quickly for an appointment. After his medication was reviewed, he soon felt a lot better. He then began to join in community groups and became a volunteer himself.
“It’s been so beautiful to witness his recovery and to see the difference in the quality of his life. It’s really powerful to watch.”
Dee met a woman in the supermarket who was struggling with her food shopping as she could not afford a fridge due to cost-of-living pressures. Dee soon resolved, helping her find charity funding for the new fridge she needed.
Another woman spoke to Dee about food vouchers and told her that she was using a stepladder to get into the bath due to mobility problems. A visit from an occupational therapist was arranged to reduce the risk of falls.
Dee, who trained as a psychotherapist, has a wealth of experience of working in prisons, charities, communities, and foster care.
“It is so important to empower people to use their voice and support them with my voice until they are in a place where they can use their own,” she said.
Dee has launched ‘digital drop-in sessions’, helping many people get online to access their heath data and register with the NHS App. She acquired tablets to be shared in the community so residents could go online to manage benefits, GP appointments and report housing repairs. According to Dee, the project highlighted that, with the right support, digital access can happen, ensuring people are not left behind.
Dalanya ‘Dee’ Morris is a fellow of the NHS South West London Digital Pioneer Fellowship programme. The programme supports people employed by the NHS and local authority and voluntary sector organisations in south west London to design and lead health and care transformation projects underpinned by digital innovation.
Funded by the South West London Integrated Care System, the programme is designed to equip fellows with new skills and knowledge. It connects fellows to peers, and mentors and gives them access to workshops, resources and events. The programme is aimed at people at any level and from a range of disciplines including clinicians, allied health professionals and operational staff.