Social Prescribing, an initiative which encourages individuals to explore a range of supplementary services to enhance health, wellbeing, and self-sufficiency, is making a significant impact across Calderdale.
Social Prescribing delves into the very essence of what matters most to individuals in terms of their overall life satisfaction and wellness. It is well understood that social and economic factors have a large contribution towards an individual’s overall health and wellbeing. By pinpointing local activities and services that cater to patients’ unique needs, doctors and healthcare providers are opening doors to a realm of support that extends beyond traditional medical interventions. Social Prescribing might include encouraging a patient to consider volunteering, arts activities, group learning, gardening, befriending, cookery, healthy eating advice and a range of sports.
Pennine GP Alliance’s Social Prescribing Link Workers, working for four Primary Care Networks in Calderdale have reported remarkable outcomes from the support they have been providing to people across Calderdale. Link workers listen to people and try to understand their situation, and what matters to them. They then “link” that person to organisations and information that can help.
Between 2020 and 2022, an impressive 4,170 patients in Calderdale were guided to access these innovative services, and the results have been nothing short of inspiring.
One of the most striking revelations has been the 19% surge in patient activation, this is a patient’s knowledge, confidence and ability to look after their own health and wellbeing. It’s a testament to the fact that when individuals are empowered with tailored resources, they are more inclined to take control of their health journey. Additionally, an incidental drop of 0.6 points in the BMI of patients reflects the tangible impact on wellness that extends beyond simple medical prescriptions.
The implications on supporting pressures on GP contact time and costs are equally powerful. Patients using social prescribing are now less likely to require GP contact time (often reduced by up to 4 GP appointments per patient). Secondary care (e.g., hospitals and specialists) are also benefiting by seeing up to £350 worth of savings per patient per annum because of social prescribing activity.
This means that £1 spent on social prescribing could save £4 in reduced primary and secondary care demand – and that’s before counting the benefit to other providers and the benefit of better health to patients – demonstrating the value of investing in both social prescribing and population health improvement more generally.
Pennine GP Alliance (PGPA) has also emerged as a leading employer of Link Workers. Their commitment to supporting the team of 18 Link Workers across Calderdale has earned them the prestigious title of ‘Highly Commended’ as ‘Employer of the Year’ at the National Association of Link Workers Annual Awards ceremony 2023.
As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, Social Prescribing continues to be a powerful alternative for supporting people to change the circumstances that can make them unwell. It can empower people to manage existing health problems, to get the right benefits or get back into employment. It can help people to connect and to grow in confidence.
Its success in Calderdale serves as a strong reminder that investment in personalised care and holistic support can yield tangible dividends in both health outcomes and supporting the primary care provision locally.
Will Menzies, Chief Executive of Pennine GP Alliance (PGPA) who employ social prescribing link workers on behalf of four Primary Care Networks in Calderdale said:
Social Prescribing Link Workers are having a huge impact in Calderdale and the wider health system, supporting their patients with a holistic approach to address physical, social, emotional and metal well being – which is why recruitment into this role is not slowing down. Our GP practices continue to welcome social prescribing as a major player in reducing pressures on GP patient caseload, whilst offering practical support that doesn’t always need to be clinical.
Because of this success, i’m proud to say our organisation was recognised at the 2023 National Association of Link Workers Annual Awards ceremony, so my thanks go out again to our team of Link Workers but also to the wider team at PGPA for their continued support and guidance.
Download our social prescribing leaflet here