New text service launched in Calderdale

The Calderdale health improvement service has launched a new text messaging service to provide information about specialist teams who can offer help on healthy lifestyle issues.

The health improvement service supports and encourages positive lifestyle changes by providing free and confidential support on a wide range of issues such as weight management, stopping smoking, sexual health and affordable warmth. This supports the national Change4Life (C4L) initiative.

Local people can text the health improvement service, which is provided by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and receive a response with contact details for three of its specialist teams; the stop smoking service, weight management team and the substance misuse service.

To make it easy for people to find the contact details for their local service all they need to do is to text C4L to 81025.

All text messages are confidential and charged at standard network rates.

Personal responses cannot be sent via the text message service, but the health improvement service can be contacted on 01422 281529 to provide personal advice, support and signposting to local services.

Steve Searby, acting health improvement manager, said, "This new service allows people in Calderdale to easily access contact details for our health improvement service. This text service will run initially until March 2012 alongside our existing services, but will help further improve the accessibility to information. If the service proves as successful as hoped it will continue beyond this date”

Local people can also stay up to date with the Trust on Twitter at: @allofusinmind