Social Prescribing
What is Social Prescribing?
Many things can affect your health and wellbeing; you may be feeling isolated, lonely, or anxious, or want to meet people at a community group or start a hobby. A Social Prescriber may be able to help you.
Social Prescribers collaborate with patients to focus on what matters to them. They connect people to community groups, agencies or charities for support, advice, or companionship.
Social Prescribing is part of the NHS long-term plan to make personalised care prevalent across the health and care system. Personalised care means people have options over the way their care is delivered based on what matters to them and their individual strengths and needs.
This represents a new relationship between patients, professionals and the health and care system. It provides a positive shift in power and decision making that enables patients to feel informed, have a voice and be connected to each other and their communities.
What support could be offered?
Social Prescribers can help with many areas:
- Loneliness/social isolation
- Helping promote healthy lifestyle choices.
- How to access care for a loved one
- Dementia support
- Getting out and being more active
- Meeting others
- Emotional wellbeing
- Foodbanks
- Bereavement support
- Supporting other life changing events (i.e., moving house, retirement, births)
- Getting back to or accessing work
- Where to go and how to access advice regarding benefits, or financial issues
- Volunteering opportunities
- Help with housing or housing conditions.
- Learning new skills/finding new hobbies
- Accessing music, arts, crafts, gardening groups
How could I benefit from Social Prescribing?
- Meet new people.
- Gain a sense of belonging.
- Improved mental health.
- Gain independence.
- Get involved in your local community.
- Learn a new skill/find a new hobby.
- Improve physical health.
- Improved quality of life
How it works
A Social Prescriber can arrange to meet you in your own home, in a common place like a local coffee shop or at your own GP Surgery.
The meeting will be confidential, non-judgmental, and casual. Together you will discuss your interests and what is important to your life and wellbeing and which activities, services and/or charities along with other services may benefit you. The Social Prescriber will continue to support and encourage you along the way, including attending introductory groups so you do not have to take the first steps on your own.
Who is my local Social Prescriber?
Deborah Coleman works at:
Elm Tree Surgery Shrivenham
Ridgeway View Family Practice
Station House Surgery.
Deborah splits her time between all our surgeries. If you feel you would benefit from speaking to a Social Prescriber, you can contact Deborah by telephone at your GP surgery or by email: Deborah.coleman@nhs.net
Social Prescribers ARE NOT medically trained or an emergency service, and therefore cannot give any advice regarding conditions, symptoms, diagnoses, or medication.
