Making Every Contact Count (MECC)

What is MECC?

MECC is an approach to behaviour change that utilises the millions of day-to-day interactions that organisations and individuals have with other people to support them in making positive changes to their physical and mental health and wellbeing.

The MECC approach recognises that individuals across health, local authority and the voluntary sector, have thousands of contacts every day and are ideally placed to promote health and wellbeing.

MECC focuses on the following key behaviours that, when addressed, can make the greatest improvement to an individual’s health:

Stopping smoking
Drinking alcohol only within the recommended limits
Eating Healthily
Being physically active
Improving mental health and wellbeing
Being up to date with immunisations and vaccinations
Taking up screening offer when eligible

What MECC means:

For organisations

Providing staff and volunteers with the leadership, environment, training and information that they need to deliver the MECC approach effectively.

For staff and volunteers

Meddu ar y cymhwysedd a’r hyder i gyflwyno negeseuon iechyd, i helpu annog pobl i newid eu hymddygiad ac i’w cyfeirio at wasanaethau lleol, rhanbarthol a chenedlaethol sy’n gallu eu cefnogi.

For individuals

Seeking support and taking action to improve their own health and wellbeing.

What MECC is not

MECC is not about:

adding another job to already busy working days
becoming specialists or experts in health-related behaviours
becoming counsellors or providing ongoing support to particular individuals
telling somebody what to do and how to live their life

What are the benefits of MECC?

There are benefits to applying the MECC approach across a range of settings including where we are born, grow up, live, work and age. By using everyday interactions to have conversations about health behaviours, the MECC approach can positively impact individuals, professionals, organisations and communities.

Organisational benefits

The MECC approach helps to meet responsibilities for improving population health and wellbeing.
The MECC approach supports staff development by boosting awareness, skills, confidence, and motivation.
The MECC approach can be integrated into existing health or workforce improvement initiatives.

Community and local health economy benefits

Improves access to healthy behaviour advice.
Can reduce illness and save costs across the local health system.
Encourages community engagement and collaboration.

Staff and volunteer benefits

Empowers staff and volunteers to confidently and routinely share health behaviour messages.
Enables staff and volunteers to signpost people to local, regional or national support services.

National and population benefits

Makes better use of existing resources to improve public health.
Offers the potential to contribute to reducing health inequalities by supporting behaviour change.
Reaches people who might not otherwise seek health advice or guidance.

Individual benefits

For individuals, the MECC approach can support people to take action to improve their own health and wellbeing. This includes eating healthily, being physically active, drinking alcohol only within the recommended limits, stopping smoking, improving mental health and wellbeing, taking up screening offer when eligible and being up to date with immunisations and vaccinations.

Contacts

Swansea Bay University Health Board
Email: [email protected]

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Email: Florence Beach at [email protected]

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 03000 858 695

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 02921 836505

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Phone: 01685 351450

Hywel Dda University Health Board
Email: [email protected]

Powys Teaching University Health Board
Email: [email protected]

Public Health Wales
Email: Annie Petherick at [email protected]