Considered as a fairly new role within primary care, health and wellbeing coaches support patients in improving their physical and mental health through lifestyle changes and self-management.
Sophia Murray John is the health and well-being coach for Northumbria Primary Care and has been working within this role for over a year. Sophia holds a wealth of experience, having worked as a primary care nurse for over 30 years.
We caught up with Sophia to find out more about her role and how her role is helping patients from across NPC manage their health conditions and feel good about themselves.
I started my career as a practice nurse in London and moved to Alnwick in 2017. I’ve always enjoyed working with people living with long-term health challenges and developed a particular interest in lifestyle medicine. I loved helping patients integrate lifestyle changes that not only reduce the risk of long-term complications but also improve their quality of life in the present.
After training and becoming a certified health and wellbeing coach in 2022, I saw the role at NPC as a great opportunity to offer patients a whole-health approach. It allows me to support people in understanding what health means to them, while also helping them integrate the medical management of their conditions into their daily lives. It felt like a perfect fit with my deep interest in supporting patients through their long-term health challenges. People often know what they need to do, but struggle to implement it into their everyday routine.
As a health and wellbeing coach, I support patients managing long-term health challenges such as anxiety, stress, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. I work closely with them to identify lifestyle changes that can improve their quality of life. What I love most about the role is its patient-centred approach—collaborating with each individual to develop a lifestyle management plan that can truly enhance their health and wellbeing.
Recently, a patient was referred to our team for support with weight loss. She had been living with arthritis, which limited her mobility and impacted her daily life. Together, we set small, achievable fitness goals and provided guidance on healthy eating and pain management. Through this personalised approach, she gradually built her strength and resilience. Now, she regularly walks up to 7,000 steps a day and has begun to lose weight.
It’s stories like this that make the role incredibly rewarding—you get to be part of a patient’s journey to a better quality of life. I feel honoured to walk alongside them, celebrating every achievement, no matter how small.
When I’m not looking after the health and wellbeing of patients, I’m spending time looking after my own health and wellbeing. I spend a lot of my spare time in the outdoors, I live in a beautiful part of Northumberland, and I love getting out with friends and family to make the most of it.
Looking ahead, I am excited to support more patients within NPC in effectively managing their long-term health conditions. My goal is to empower individuals to take greater control of their health and adopt sustainable, healthier lifestyles for improved overall well-being.