Social Prescribing.
Going beyond medicine.
It’s estimated that one in five of the people who go to see their GP are troubled by things that can’t be cured by medical treatment. GPs tell us that they spend significant amounts of time dealing with the effects of poor housing, debt, stress and loneliness.
Many people are overwhelmed and can’t reach out to make the connections that could make a difference to their situation. This is especially true for people who have long-term conditions, who need support with their mental health, who are lonely or isolated, or who have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.
Our social prescribing link workers help people to identify what matters to them, and work out how to connect with the activities that might make a difference.
Social Prescribing is suitable for any patient whose health & wellbeing is being impacted by practical or social issues, such as:
Benefits and money
Employment and education
Unemployment
Loneliness and isolation
Family
Housing
What is Social Prescribing?
What does it involve?
Patients are offered a number of one to one sessions, depending on their individual needs. Social prescribers adopt a personalised approach to each patient’s circumstances and needs, understanding what matters to them and what their priorities are. From this a plan is developed to build their confidence in tackling any day to day issues, connect them to appropriate services and support and enable them to make informed choices moving forward.
How to access this service
The Social Prescribing service is designed to help people with a range of problems that are not medical, but have a direct impact on their sense of wellbeing. We usually work with clients for around 6 months, starting with an initial discussion that can last up to an hour. We will listen to you; find out what is important to you and start to make an action plan to tackle your worries at a pace that suits you. We try to help people find their own solutions rather than telling them what to do, so that they have more control over their own health and find ways to improve how they feel in a way that suits them.
Some of the things we can help with:
Money worries, debt, benefits and budgeting
Employment and learning
Housing
Social isolation and loneliness
General wellbeing and help with healthy behaviours
Feeling more connected and helping in your community
We can link you with the people, knowledge and activities that can help you to feel better. We might recommend groups and activities within the community, or local and national organisations who can help. We take a holistic approach, considering practical problems, lifestyle and wellbeing as interconnected issues that each impact on the other.
We address this by talking about the Five Ways to Wellbeing, small steps we can all take to improve our feelings of health and contentment. The Five Ways to Wellbeing are: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give.
Referrals to Social Prescribing are made through your GP or other health professional so if you would like to make an appointment please ask at your Doctors Surgery. We take referrals from any of the Malvern GP surgeries: Malvern Health Centre, New Court Surgery, St Saviours Surgery and Whiteacres Medical Centre.