I don’t need convincing of the benefits of social prescribing. I spent 18 months researching it back in 2014 and produced a business case proposing a model for South Tees. My positive views however, were reinforced at a recent Kings Fund conference I attended ‘Social Prescribing – from Rhetoric to Reality’. Allthough it was somewhat preaching to the converted, the conference was attended by over 400 delegates some of which had to be accommodated via a viewing room which streamed the conference live, due to the demand for places.
As well as senior executives, GPs and practitioners from a range of organisations including NHS England, the Royal College of General Practitioners, Clinical Commissioning Groups, private, voluntary and community sector, HRH Prince Charles was also in attendance (I wondered why a cushion had been placed on the seat in front of me!).
The event explored the range of benefits of social prescribing and how best to measure and evaluate the impact and outcomes. Pioneering local areas shared their approach, challenges and achievements, and provided practical resources for commissioners and practitioners to develop schemes in their own locality.
There is now an army of social prescribing schemes operating across the country. In London alone 23 out of the 32 CCGs have a social prescribing service. Such is the interest in it that local Social Prescribing Networks are being established across the country. This includes the North East, Yorkshire and Humber whose inaugural meeting takes place on 26 June 2017 supported by the National Social Prescribing Network (hosted by the University of Westminster).
Social prescribing is not a new concept and has been talked about for several years:
2011 BJGP: ‘GPs recognise social prescribing as a valuable part of their practice. They believe that community resources are important in supporting the health of their patients.’
2016 ‘Social prescribing schemes can certainly be beneficial to a patient’s overall health and wellbeing, there needs to be better integration between health and community services so that GPs can signpost patients appropriately.’
The difference being that there is now a raft of compelling feasibility data showing the benefits of social prescribing for both patients and health and social care services.
Recent economic data shows on average a SROI of £2.3 per £1 invested in the first year and reductions in:
- GP attendance: 28% reduction (average 2-70%)
- A&E attendance: 24% fall (average 8%-26%)
- Emergency hospital admissions average 6-33% reduction
- Overall reduction in referral to secondary care
A Social Prescribing Toolkit and evidence summary will be published in June 2017 by the National Social Prescribing Network.
What was clear from the conference was the overwhelming acknowledgement that we need to do things differently and stop putting up barriers, move away from a pure medical model of service delivery and focus on ‘not what is the matter with people but what matters to them’ and helping to ‘build on what’s strong not what’s wrong’.
If there was ever an inspiring story that describes the impact of social prescribing on a person’s health and well being it is the one told by Debs Taylor.
It left me with the view let’s not leave this to chance that someone will happen to pick up a leaflet, but have a more structured and systematic approach to services, that supports people to take control of their own health and wellbeing.
However, to do this it needs to be appropriately resourced, and as one speaker pointed out – “you (NHS/commissioners) wouldn’t write a medical prescription and expect to get the drugs for free, so its the same for a social prescription, someone has to fund the service”
Let’s hope that the message about the positive impact and benefits of social prescribing is heard loud and clear in Middlesbrough.
