Sobre la violencia escolar

All participants spoke about the health professional referring them to AOR. There was a mixed range of responses, ranging from a positive self-referral to utter shock of being referred to a PA intervention. Positive experiences were not expected having assumed that non-attendees were put off by the experience they had either with the health professional, fitness professional, or during a session at the leisure centre.

Pol self-referred and was pleasantly surprised at the ease of the AOR referral process. She felt confident enough to ask her GP about the intervention but was not expecting an easy ride and thought it would be a challenging process to attend the gym; however, she was pleasantly surprised.

Because I have problems with joints and everything else, have got osteoarthritis and erm problems in my back, I said to my GP, can I be referred to you know do some physical activity at gym....yeah, fine... that was it, thought that‟s easy, you don‟t have to fight for it.

For Patsy, it just made sense to be part of a structured scheme that provided a much better alternative than taking more medicine. This enabled her to

practically do something that would benefit her health condition and helped her feel more in control. She was working in partnership with the health professional who considered it an option for Patsy. She seemed very self-aware and keen to invest in her health.

I think I was getting a bit err frustrated, not getting anywhere. She did suggest we need to up the insulin, go to three shots a day rather than the two. And I think I began to feel that was not what I wanted to do, I thought this is going down a slippery slope that isn‟t a good thing, I said to her if I could get more exercise that would probably help I think. Then she said we have got this thing that we are doing at the moment...

Linda G expressed her passion for being physically active and the respect/loyalty she received from her GP. It seemed the natural solution to bring her out of the hole of depression and the referral was welcomed. She spoke honestly and seemed to know her condition well.

When I came to the first referral, I am quite depressive anyway and er I get SADS in the winter. I came because my doctor referred me, because I have been with my doctor for 20 years, he‟s known me and he knows I like activity. One of the reasons I have had

problems with my health is because I have not been active and lots of other factors that I won‟t go into.

Heidi viewed the referral as a positive opportunity initially, but with everything else going on at home, she was unable to see the referral as a priority whilst facing issues like anxiety and lack of courage in leaving the safety of her home. Although there was hope that she would partake in an activity to connect her to others, on reflection, this was not what Heidi wanted at this time.

“Really excited...But I am just not ready for it”.

Although Max had jumped the hoops the medical staff had given in the past in order to get a gastric band fitted, and going to the gym was not an option. The referral was perceived to add to the pain and grief experienced in everyday life and not something she wanted to put herself through. During the interview, Max was hunched over and barely able to put one foot in front of the other; it was bemusing that with such a level of immobility she could be referred to a gym.

I was referred back to the doctors and then referred to the gym which I couldn‟t do (phone rings). They said what I had to do was, to get my knee operation I needed to lose weight which I can‟t barely walk so I‟m not able to go to the gym.

Dav was shocked that the referral process was not thorough in considering his needs. He checked that the research process was confidential and then started to look for the referral paperwork to prove there was missing information. The referral was for an acute back problem; Dav was unable to stand up without physically sweating and his movement was very awkward. There was a high

level of annoyance because the referral system was not meeting his individual needs.

“Doctor didn‟t put everything in the referral. The gym instructor didn‟t even know a quarter. He just said erm acute back pain. That was it”.

On asking Dav what the AOR referral conversation was like with his GP, although Dav spoke of a good relationship, he could not understand why he was being referred. It was totally off his radar and took him by surprise.

(laughing) “And erm he said, he said I can refer you to the gym. I sort of looked at him I looked at him and thought gym what the ... hell are you talking about?”

There was a negative personal reaction from Dav after the referral, stimulating his defensiveness and resistance.

...”referral took me back a bit”.

The referral was inappropriate. Although the tone of voice and body language communicated very clearly his shock at being referred, Dav did not articulate the words to say he did not want to be referred to a gym to the health professional. It was assumed that he would go.

Mr T took the referral process into his own hands. After being referred, he compared the costs and chose to attend a private facility. It just made sense to get the best value for money as he intended to be a regular user.

“I, I done this all myself. Because the doctors referred me to a scheme think it‟s run by council. Erm it was £10 for a session, but after that was just an induction...”