Helping people facing a long wait for knee or hip treatment is the goal of a partnership which has just been launched.

The North Norfolk Waiting Well Project will offer support such as arranging care alarm systems or key-safe installations, and providing equipment to make daily tasks safer or easier.

North Norfolk District Council has teamed up with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board on the scheme.

The council has employed Nathan Benedettini as a ‘waiting well officer’ to lead the project.

Mr Benedettini said that with today’s long waiting lists, it was important to make sure people had what they needed to stay fit and healthy.

He said: “Waiting for treatment can cause a range of difficulties in people's lives, such as losing income from being unable to work or feeling isolated and cut off from communities.

“We hope that by targeting help early to these people, we can improve their quality of life while they wait and help them stay as physically and emotionally fit as possible for their treatment.”

Other support offered through the project could include: Information about housing adaptation grants; help to cope with loneliness and social isolation and help with benefits support and how to make a claim.

Waiting Well can also help people find ways to stay active or get active for treatment; plan recovery from treatment and arrange care requirements or support for a carer.

Similar projects have already been set up for people living in the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, South Norfolk and Broadland council areas.

Virginia Gay, NNDC’s leisure, wellbeing and culture portfolio holder, said: “When you are waiting for treatment, you can feel very alone and very anxious. But at (NNDC), we will be doing our best to help those who are in this situation.

"We hope that the Waiting Well Project and our new officer will make life easier for many of our residents.”

Mr Benedettini said the council would contact everyone on the waiting list, but they could also contact him directly on 01263 516003 or by emailing nathan.benedettini@north-norfolk.gov.uk.