Pat O’Connor’s experience of living with arthritis has highlighted how local services can support people between appointments, and why community pharmacy belongs in the conversation about care closer to home.
Belfast woman Pat O’Connor brought a personal perspective to a Stormont discussion on health inequalities when she described the part that staying active has played in managing her arthritis.
Speaking at Building Healthier Neighbourhoods Together, an event hosted by social enterprise GLL, Pat explained that leisure facilities have given her a familiar, local place to focus on her health and wellbeing alongside the care she receives from traditional health services.
“Living with a long-term condition can affect every part of your life, and finding ways to manage it can make a huge difference,” she said.
Her experience gave the event’s policy discussion a practical focus: what support is available to people in the places they use every day, and how can those services work together more effectively?
A place for pharmacy in neighbourhood care
The event explored Northern Ireland’s Neighbourhood Model of Health and Wellbeing, which aims to bring care and support closer to home through stronger links between health services, councils and community organisations. The Department of Health identifies community pharmacy as part of that approach.
For pharmacy professionals, the connection is clear. People regularly visit their local pharmacy while managing long-term conditions, seeking advice about symptoms or collecting medicines. Those conversations can offer opportunities to identify concerns early, support self-care and help patients find other local sources of support.
Pharmacies are well placed to be part of this work. Northern Ireland had 506 community pharmacies at the end of 2025/26, and almost three quarters of residents lived within a mile of one. Turning that reach into joined-up care will depend on strong local relationships and clear ways for services to connect patients with the right support.
Looking at the whole person
At Stormont, GLL highlighted how leisure centres can help people remain active, build social connections and manage their wellbeing. Health Minister Robbie Butler MLA told attendees that health is created in communities as well as in hospitals and GP practices.
That message will resonate with pharmacy teams. A conversation about medicines may reveal that a patient is struggling with mobility, confidence or the day-to-day demands of a long-term condition. Pharmacy can respond to the clinical need while helping the person understand what other support may be available locally.
Gareth Kirk, Senior Regional Director at GLL, said Pat’s experience showed why health inequalities and long-term conditions must be considered beyond the boundaries of traditional health services. He called for better connections between existing community facilities and the new neighbourhood model.
Pat’s contribution was a reminder that policy will be judged by what it means in daily life. For community pharmacy, the opportunity is to bring its accessibility and patient relationships into a wider network of care, helping people receive support before a problem becomes more difficult to manage.