Teesdale Leisure Services has installed the FitLinxx gym management system to monitor and enhance its GP referral scheme.

The technology replaces a paper-based system and managers at Teesdale Sports Centre – which has operated the GP referral scheme for more than seven years – said the FitLinxx system will enable the team to effectively monitor the referral programme.

“We did our best to keep on top of the paper-based monitoring systems, but some patients do slip through the net,” said Gerry Hehir, the centre’s health and physical activity co-ordinator and project manager of the GP referral scheme.

“If a GP needed details of a patient who entered the scheme three years ago, it was very time consuming locating that information. With FitLinxx, GPs themselves will be able to enter their own password into the system and within seconds locate details of every one of their patients on the scheme,” he said.

As new patients are referred to the centre they are introduced to FitLinxx and given a unique PIN, which makes it easy for GPs to monitor their progress. GPs can study the reports of their patients’ gym sessions, allowing them to check on their progress and amend recommendations and prescriptions accordingly.

The system is not exclusive to patients with a gym-based programme – GPs can prescribe group fitness in the form of exercise classes or running and walking groups and still be able to keep a track on them via the system. The patient simply enters details of their group exercise session and it will be logged as part of their activity programme.

Teesdale is confident that the referral scheme will go from strength to strength, and as a result, it will to be in a position to apply for mainstream funding from the local authority, rather than individual government approved grants to fund any further improvements to the centre in the future.

The FitLinxx system at Teesdale, which is part of Durham Dales Primary Care Trust, is part funded by the Big Lottery – the lottery distribution fund created specifically to ensure best value for money in community services.