What is Social Prescribing?
Social Prescribing is a means of enabling GPs to refer patients with social, emotional or practical needs into a service for additional support.
The Social Prescribing service aims to improve health and wellbeing by promoting patient empowerment, supporting them to engage with their health needs and find personalized solutions.
What types of support can the patient receive from the service?
The support that patients will receive to find personalised solutions to their health needs will form an individual personalised care plan. The care plan could involve the following support…
- Comprehensive assessment of their social, environmental and emotional needs
- Evaluation of the link between their health and their current social, environmental and emotional needs
- Support to feeling empowered about making lifestyle changes and taking responsibility for their health outcomes
- Receive information on how to access educational tools that will help them to adopt a healthier lifestyle and improve their health outcomes
- Creating appropriate and beneficial community links for the patient
- Exploring mental health difficulties and discussing ways this can be improved through adopting the 5 ways to wellbeing
- Support in finding services available for specific health conditions/needs
- Signposting to and help to complete the relevant forms for environmental support, such as housing and benefits
Referral criteria
Referrals should be made for patients aged 9+ years where they would benefit from support around one or more of the following:
- Adopting a healthier lifestyle
- Managing symptoms
- Work and volunteering
- Finances and housing
- Social needs and activities
- Improving mood
- Family support
Exclusion criteria
- Patients with severe mental health conditions
- Patients already receiving sufficient support for their health needs
- Patients who do not want to engage with the service
- Patients being considered for referral mainly for clinical reasons
Referral into the service
Who can make a referral?
GPs and other members of practice staff
How can a referral be made?
By adding patients to the appointment slots labelled ‘new referral’ in Becki’s clinic
Information needed:
Brief summary of why patient is being referred into the service.
