Newton Abbot GP seeks support with App to combat social isolation

Newton Abbot Town Council has welcomed a new health app designed by a local GP and urged backers to help get the device to a wider audience.

Dr Maurice Kemple from Cricketfield Surgery created the YourPatch App to combat social isolation as a means of improving mental and physical wellbeing.

Through his clinical work he has witnessed the ‘vast benefits of engaging in your community’ and created an app which he describes as a ‘digital community noticeboard at a hyper-local level’.

The App creates a search area of 1km radius from the user’s location in which they can search for and post activities and announcements.

‘I have digitalised the wooden community noticeboard you often walk past,’ said Dr Kemple.

Despite no relevant tech experience, the GP decided to act having seen the devastating effects of loneliness, particularly among young adults and new mums.

‘The impacts of social isolation are multifarious,’ he said.

‘Increasing your community engagement has multiple benefits on your physical and mental health.

‘Fundamentally I want to create a tool for GPs and anyone really that minimises the barriers to community engagement.’

The not-for-profit app was developed during Dr Kemple’s year-long Health Inequalities Project funded by the Devon Training Hub.

After door-to-door research and feedback, he has taken YourPatch to the prototype stage, accessed via a QR code or shared directly from the app.

Now he wants to take the further, ideally through a sponsorship, to create an downloadable app.

‘I’d welcome the opportunity to talk with anyone who sees the benefits of this digital community noticeboard,’ he said.

‘This doesn’t need a lot of investment to make it downloadable and available from your Apple or Android store, perhaps £5,000 - £10,000.

‘Ultimately, I would like this to be a tool for practitioners to encourage community engagement among their patients, however it can also be used independently of this for anyone who’s interested in what’s going on in their immediate neighborhood.’

Dr Kemple presented his project to members of Newton Abbot Town Council’s Community and Heritage Committee.

Chair Cllr Louise Cooke said: ‘As a former practice manager myself I know all too well how social isolation can make even minor health problems much worse so we really welcome Dr Kemple’s efforts.

‘I’d urge anyone that believes they might be able to help to get in touch, this could be a really valuable tool that helps countless people.’

Dr Kemple can be emailed via m.kemple@nhs.net.