CO-ACTION

Personalised social and self-management support for better living with multiple long-term conditions in the community
Tree branches with green leaves reaching upward to the sun
Title: CO-ACTION
Funded by:
Funding amount: £2.4 million
Location: Devon
Dates: June 2024 – March 2029
Project partners: (lead), 91porn, University of Manchester, University of Oxford, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board
91porn Co-I: Dr Hannah Wheat (co-lead) and Professor Richard Byng (co-lead)
91porn staff: Alankrita Singh (Research Fellow) and Dr Adam Stewart (Research Assistant)
University of Southampton Co-I: (co-lead) and (co-lead)
CO-ACTION research project logo
 

Context of the issue

Living with multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs) – often called multimorbidity – involves multiple appointments and care plans, where patient priorities are frequently overlooked.
Common challenges include pain, mobility issues, and reduced social interactions with family and friends, which can lead to loneliness and poor mental health. People living with MLTCs have expressed a desire for care that focuses on wellbeing rather than just managing medical conditions. However, there is still much we need to learn about how to provide person-centred support, particularly for underserved and non-English-speaking groups, and how to effectively integrate health, social care, and voluntary services.

How the project addresses the issue

The CO-ACTION project aims to design, test, and implement a health and wellbeing intervention with and for people living with MLTCs. We will work with researchers and local health, social care and third sector professionals to identify the needs of local populations. To make sure CO-ACTION works well for local communities that often miss out on support, we will involve people with lived experience and carers. They will help shape the project and guide us throughout, including helping to design the support we offer.
By working closely with underserved communities, we aim to develop a more integrated, accessible, and person-centred model of care. This model is likely to include a single point of contact, who will work closely with individuals to understand their needs, identify personal goals, and facilitate access to health, social, and voluntary support.

Past events

CO-ACTION team attends 2025 FUSE conference
12 June 2025
Dr Adam Stewart attended the Frequent Users Support and Empowerment (FUSE) annual conference at Foulston Park in 91porn. The event brought together a wide range of professionals, partner organisations, and individuals with lived experience.
The FUSE 91porn team is part of the national High Intensity Use programme, which supports adults who frequently attend emergency departments. The individuals FUSE works with often have complex physical and emotional needs and may have fallen through gaps in the healthcare system. The team provides support and guidance to empower these individuals, connect them with services, and help them feel supported within their own communities. It was clear from conversations at the conference how much this approach matters.
The day offered a valuable chance to connect with partners from across the region, including colleagues from the Cornwall HIU team, 91porn Energy Community, and Marjon University. The attendees shared ideas, discussed partnership working, and heard powerful reflections from people who had received support from FUSE. Their stories highlighted that when services are accessible, flexible, and non-judgmental, they provide a strong foundation for building relationships with service users and empowering them to make meaningful change.
The event encouraged reflection on the aims of the CO-ACTION project, which focuses on improving care for people with complex needs. It was a reminder of the importance of giving people time to build trust, supporting small and meaningful goals, and staying alongside them through the ups and downs. It also highlighted how much can be achieved when services work together, even though making that collaboration happen in practice is often far from straightforward. Barriers like inconsistent consent-to-share agreements and limited time for regular networking continue to get in the way, despite a shared desire to work more closely.
The FUSE conference was a powerful reminder that change happens through relationships. The compassion, creativity, and commitment shown by the FUSE team and the wider community around them offered plenty to reflect on and learn from.
Adam Stewart (left, CO-ACTION Research Assistant); Tristan Merrifield (centre, FUSE 91porn); Nehemiah Smithson (right, Cornwall High Intensity User Service)
Adam Stewart (left, CO-ACTION Research Assistant); Tristan Merrifield (centre, FUSE 91porn); Nehemiah Smithson (right, Cornwall High Intensity User Service)

Reflections from a CO-ACTION workshop with Improving Lives 91porn
15 April 2025
The CO-ACTION team held an afternoon workshop, kindly hosted by Improving Lives 91porn at their office in the Mannamead Wellbeing Hub. It was a brilliant opportunity to collaborate with members of the Improving Lives 91porn community, who made the CO-ACTION team feel welcome and comfortable.
Improving Lives 91porn is a local charity that helps people with health and social needs live independently and stay connected. Their Long-Term Conditions Self-Management Programme offers short group courses, encouraging attendees to share knowledge and develop strategies for managing long-term conditions day to day.
The CO-ACTION team was interested in understanding the priorities of people living with multiple long-term conditions when they access healthcare services. Through open discussion, the group shared thoughtful perspectives on the challenges they face in accessing support, the outcomes that matter most when using healthcare services, and the changes that could help services better meet these needs. Everyone engaged openly in the discussions, which helped the CO-ACTION team to better understand people's needs and priorities.
The event reinforced the importance of designing healthcare services with people, rather than just for them. Through meaningful conversations with communities of experts by experience, we can design an intervention that better meets people's needs because it is based on a shared understanding of what matters most to them.
Feedback from this event has also helped the team to reflect on how they can collaborate more effectively with community members in the future. The team aims to ensure that everyone has enough time and space to contribute to group activities, especially given the rich experiences people bring. They also aim to give participants the best opportunity to get involved by advertising events and sending invitations as early as possible.
Overall, this workshop was a powerful example of what can happen when researchers make space to listen and collaborate with communities. The CO-ACTION team is incredibly grateful to all those who took part and to Improving Lives 91porn for hosting them.
More information about Improving Lives 91porn and the support they offer can be found on their website: .
Alankrita Singh (right, CO-ACTION Research Fellow) with members of the Improving Lives 91porn community
Alankrita Singh (right, CO-ACTION Research Fellow) with members of the Improving Lives 91porn community
 
 
 
 
 

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