Social Prescribing
Introducing Social Prescribing – your pathway to holistic health and wellbeing
– Next time you’re looking for support beyond medical treatment, ask your surgery about our Social Prescribing service –
Non-urgent advice: What is Social Prescribing?
At our GP practices and Primary Care Networks (PCNs), Social Prescribing is a key service that connects you to activities, groups, and services in your community to meet your practical, social, and emotional needs that affect your health and wellbeing.
When you’re dealing with issues that require more than just medical treatment, our Social Prescribing service is your solution.
Our Social Prescribing link workers give you time, focusing on ‘what matters to me?’ to co-produce a simple personalised care and support plan, and support you to take control of your health and wellbeing.
Social Prescribing is designed to support people with a wide range of social, emotional or practical needs, and many schemes are focused on improving mental health and physical wellbeing. Those who could benefit from Social Prescribing schemes include people with mild or long-term mental health problems, people with complex needs, people who are socially isolated and those with multiple long-term conditions who frequently attend either primary or secondary health care.
Non-urgent advice: Here’s why Social Prescribing is so valuable:
1 – Holistic Approach: Social Prescribing recognises that your health and wellbeing are determined mostly by a range of social, economic, and environmental factors. It seeks to address your needs in a holistic way.
2 – Personalised Care: Social Prescribing aims to support you to take greater control of your own health. It involves a range of activities that are typically provided by voluntary and community sector organisations. Examples include volunteering, arts activities, group learning, gardening, befriending, cookery, healthy eating advice, and a range of sports.
3 – Community Connection: Social Prescribing link workers connect you to local sources of support, helping you get involved with local services ranging from swimming lessons to financial advice services.
4 – Improved Health Outcomes: There is a growing body of evidence that Social Prescribing can lead to a range of positive health and wellbeing outcomes. Studies have pointed to improvements in quality of life and emotional wellbeing, mental and general wellbeing, and levels of depression and anxiety.
NHS England’s Advice
– NHS England has committed to building the infrastructure for Social Prescribing in primary care and embed Social Prescribing and community-based approaches across the NHS.
– This includes introducing Social Prescribing link workers into primary care networks (PCNs) so that every person in England can access a Social Prescribing service through their GP practice.
– The aim is to provide a more flexible and convenient service to patients, reducing the pressure on GP practices during standard working hours.
– This initiative is part of a wider plan to improve access to primary care services and ensure that patients receive the right care, from the right person, at the right time.