Physical inactivity is one of the major modifiable risk factors for preventable early death, but GPs and their teams haven’t always felt empowered to encourage their patients to move more. The growing challenge of chronic lifestyle-related disease, mental health conditions and social isolation means it's time to act – and lots of GP teams are. Even modest changes to activity levels can play an important role in improving mental and physical wellbeing for all of us. Have a look at our 'Why getting active matters' section to find out more.

The Active Practice Charter is a fun, easy way to make some simple but impactful changes in your practice that will demonstrate to your patients and staff that you mean it when you say that movement is the best medicine. Achieving the RCGP Active Practice Charter is something to be celebrated, and shared widely with staff, patients, and the wider community. It's a great example of social prescribing ‘in action’, and an excellent case study for the CQC. Healthy professionals make healthy patients. What are you waiting for?

How to become an Active Practice

It's free to join and we have lots of simple and creative ideas to help you meet the criteria. All you need to do is sign up and demonstrate you have taken steps in the practice to:

  • Reduce sedentary behaviour in staff;
  • Reduce sedentary behaviour in patient;
  • Increase physical activity in staff;
  • Increase physical activity in patients;
  • Partner with a local physical activity provider

Just like training for a race, the first steps are often the hardest – but practices which have embraced this approach have found that the benefits in terms of staff morale, patient health and engagement more than make up for the initial effort. Check out how other practices have made positive changes in our case study section.

This initiative does not have to be led by a GP partner, or even a doctor – you may have a member of your non-clinical practice team who would be best placed to lead the initiative. Medical students, GP trainees, your social prescriber, first contact physiotherapist, a receptionist or one of the PPG team – anyone can instigate change.

Sign up to be an Active Practice

The five criteria

Many practices will be meeting some or all the criteria already, and we hope the Active Practice Charter will encourage you to build on this. Here are some suggestions on how you might meet the criteria.

Here, we provide some suggestions on how you might meet the criteria.

1. Reduce sedentary behaviour in staff

  • Switch off the patient call in system, so clinicians walk to the waiting room instead
  • Install adjustable standing desks
  • Introduce weekly standing or walking meetings
  • Organise a teaching session on sedentary behaviour
  • Ditch your instant messaging and, where possible, connect face-to-face to break up periods of prolonged sitting

2. Reduce sedentary behaviour in patients

  • Create a standing space in the waiting room with information for patients explaining why
  • Signpost your stairs clearly, explaining its benefits over using the lift
  • Install a stationary bike and encourage patients to pedal whilst in the waiting room - some bikes even have in-built phone chargers!
  • Use the waiting room audio-visual screen to guide patients through seated exercises
  • Try out walking or standing consultations

3. Increase in physical activity in staff

  • Sign up to a cycle-to-work scheme and improve cycle parking facilities
  • Introduce a weekly yoga or Pilates session for staff
  • Seek a group deal at a local gym so staff can get reduced rates
  • Invest in a practice bike/helmet/lock for home visiting
  • Set up practice challenges e.g. local 10km run, weekend walks, swimming events, Tough Mudder, Wolf Run
  • Organise a free training session on physical activity for all practice staff 

4. Increase in physical activity in patients

  • Visibly advertise ways to get fit locally (posters, leaflets, waiting room screens)
  • Provide training for your social prescribers or other frontline non-clinical staff members in the principles of physical activity 
  • Provide secure bike parking for patients
  • Leave some simple activity equipment (light weights, grip strengtheners etc.) in a corner of the waiting room, with a display on the benefits nearby

5. Partner with a local physical activity provider

  • Join over 2,000 GP practices and sign up with your local parkrun to be a parkrun practice
  • Set up a local health walk with the national Ramblers wellbeing walks led by PPG members or other patients
  • Approach a local gym or other provider to offer a discounted rate for patients registered with your practice who have an existing long-term condition
  • Talk to your PCN social prescriber about who’s out there locally – there may well be the perfect partner nearby
  • Contact your regional Active Partnership team – they are experts in local physical activity resources and assets, are aware of the Active Practice Charter and are there to help!

Many of these suggestions are free, or very low cost. Where there is a cost, it is worth asking for a discount, explaining to companies that their product will be used as part of a drive to get local people more active, and will be seen by thousands of patients. The same goes for local fitness trainers, who may offer a cheaper rate or do a few sessions pro bono for NHS staff.

Physical Activity clinical champion training sessions are free and delivered by peers, and there may be bursaries available from your CCG or Community Education Provider Network. You could sign up to a local Timebank, where you might offer your waiting or meeting room for e.g. a weekly yoga class, in return for free sessions for staff or patients. Be creative and think outside the box

Resources for your practice and patients

Achieving the Active Practice Charter is something to be celebrated so when you’ve demonstrated that your practice meets the five criteria, we’ll send you a certificate you can display proudly in your practice, and you'll appear on the Active Practice map. You can also use the following resources to share your knowledge and initiatives with your patients.