Health Disability Activity Pathway
Developing a partnership between health and physical activity (including sport)
The Health Disability Activity Pathway (HDAP) began as a pilot collaboration between Disability Sport Wales, NHS Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, and local authority partners in 2014. The pathway was expanded to Hywel Dda Health Board in 2019, and nationwide in 2022.
The partnership was established to create enhanced awareness, understanding and greater coherence between the health sector and sport network in Wales, through a planned programme of education and up-skilling of professionals within both areas, so as to better enable a patient pathway which illustrates and opens opportunities for disabled people to get involved with physical activity, including sport.
How the Pathway works:
Figure 1: Diagram of the Health Disabilty Activity Pathway
Step One:
Patient contact with Healthcare Professional.
Then in Step two, the patient and their Healthcare Professional complete the Health Disability Activity Pathway Signposting Form.
Step three, the last step, begins with Local Health Disability Activity Practitioner screens referral. Then, either:
- Local Sport Development Team (or equivalent) will contact the patient or their parent/guardian to discuss the options available. or;
- Health Disability Activity Practitioner will contact referrer to discuss options available to share with the patient and/or their parent/guardian.
Options could include:
- signposting to suitable clubs and sessions
- helping patient get a Leisure Card to support access to local facilities
[End of figure]
Project acheivements
Video: Patient Stories, first published by Disability Sport Wales and NHS Wales BCUHB in 2016.
Video: Healthcare Professionals' Stories, first published by Disability Sport Wales and NHS Wales BCUHB in 2016.
