An Introduction To Social Prescri Ption

What is Social Prescri ption?

Social prescribing is an emerging initiative backed by the NHS and a multitude of connective organisations within the UK. This scheme involves helping patients to improve their health, wellbeing and social welfare by connecting them to community services which might be run by the council or a local charity. For example, signposting people who have been diagnosed with cancer to local cancer support groups, such as Force Cancer located in Exeter.

It has become apparent that an individual s health is determined by a range of social, economic and environmental factors. Therefore, via social prescribing, the needs of an individual can be approached in a holistic way. It also aims to support individuals to take greater control of their own health- a narrative that is greatly encouraged given the backlog of services formed by the COVID 19 pandemic.

One of the defining features of Social Prescri ption is the ability to refer individuals to Link Workers via GPs, MDTs etc. This referral gives people time to focus on what matters to them with the link worker and therefore forming a comprehensive approach to the patient`s health and wellbeing. They connect people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. Link workers also support existing community groups to be accessible and sustainable, and help people start new groups, working collaboratively with all local partners.

Who does Social Prescri ption help?

Social prescribing works for a wide range of individuals including those:

With one or more long-term conditions

Who need support with their mental health

Who are lonely or isolated

Who have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.

College of Medicine and Integrated Health. (2017). Social prescribing: can it increase chances of employment?

Why are link workers important?

People can be referred to link workers from a wide range of local agencies, including General practices, pharmacies, multi-disciplinary teams, hospital discharge teams, allied health professionals, fire service, police, job centres, etc. This process is known as a light touch approach where existing staff in local agencies provide information to signpost people to services, using local knowledge and resource directories. Social prescribing coincides with other approaches, such as active signposting. Active signposting works best for people who are confident and skilled enough to find their own way to services after a brief intervention. However, for those who are less confident- the community centred lead allows patients to access local groups in an accessible and comfortable manner.

England, N. (2020). NHS England Social prescribing. England.nhs.uk.

Why is Social Prescri ption important?

Social prescribing and community-based support is part of the NHS Long Term Plan s commitment. This includes the encouragement of Personalised Care, as well as increasing access to social prescribing for the whole population. This means people have choice and control over the way their care is planned and delivered, based on what matters to them and their individual strengths and needs. However, personalised care relies on people having health literacy the knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence they need to be able to use health and care information and services. In 2015 Public Health England (PHE) and the Institute of Health Equity published a report about improving health literacy to reduce health inequalities. This showed that up to 61% of the working age population in England finds it difficult to understand health and wellbeing information.

Low levels of health literacy impact significantly upon a person s ability to:

Manage long term conditions

Engage with preventative programmes and make informed healthy lifestyle choices

Keep to medication regimes

This leads to worse health outcomes across a range of indicators, increased health inequalities for affected individuals and increased preventable mortality. Adopting more community-centred practice can help provide more appropriate and effective ways of engaging people and improving their health and wellbeing. SP creates a space for the improvement of the health and wellbeing of marginalised groups and vulnerable individuals.

For this reason, they are an essential way of reducing health inequalities within a local area or community. The extent to which we have control over our lives, have good social connections and live in healthy, safe neighbourhoods are all important influences on health. These community-level determinants are protective of good mental and physical health and can be a buffer against stressors during a lifetime.

There is a growing body of evidence that social prescribing reduces pressure on the NHS by directing people to more appropriate services and groups. An evidence summary published by the University of Westminster suggests that where an individual has support through social prescribing, their GP consultations reduce by an average of 28% and A&E attendances by 24%. Another study mentioned that efficient social prescribing could free up 2-5% of GP appointments, making up 3.2-8 million appointments available for those with a clinical need and potentially cutting backlogs.