Doctors are often approached by their patients with various, non-clinical concerns that don’t require medical attention. Or they may be suffering from anxiety because of debt, family grievances or grief. Doctors don’t have the time or resource to find the right support in such occurrences, which can be incredibly time-consuming in an already resourced stretched surgery. That’s where Social Prescribing comes in.
While not medically trained, Social Prescribers work closely with both medical and non-medical staff to supportively signpost people to organisations that can give them the help they need with various social, emotional, and practical challenges.
SOFEA, in partnership with the Didcot Primary Care Network and Age UK Oxfordshire, has established Social Prescribing at three GP surgeries in Didcot: Woodlands Medical Centre, Oak Tree Health Centre and Didcot Health Centre.
One of the aims of Social Prescribing is to alleviate some of the pressure of an overstretched and underfunded NHS. By referring people to charities or community groups, their health and wellbeing can be improved without the need for clinical intervention. In a study conducted in the London borough of Merton, Social Prescribing reduced the number of GP appointments by 33%, A&E visits by 50% while their wellbeing scores improved by 77%.
In 2022/23, SOFEA and Age UK Oxfordshire completed some focused project work with the Didcot Primary Care Network to get a better understanding of the impact Social Prescribing was having at the local level at both Woodlands Medical Centre and Oak Tree Health Centre. At Woodlands Medical Centre, following the intervention of Social Prescribing, GP appointments decreased from 472 to 209, during a six-month period marking a reduction of 53% for a cohort of patients that were frequently attending GP appointments. Meanwhile at Oak Tree Health Centre, the number of appointments went from 452 to 247, a 45% drop for a similar cohort of patients also frequently attending GP appointments.
Another advantage to this method is that beneficiaries of Social Prescribing feel a sense of belonging and improved confidence owing to the relationships Social Prescribing Link Workers build with their patients over time. This relationship can take the form of confidential discussions, creating short and long-term plans to help beneficiaries achieve their goals and offering flexible support that enables Social Prescribing Link Workers to attend groups, activities and appointments as needed.
To access Social Prescribing in Didcot, you can self-refer by emailing communitylink.sofea@nhs.net, or call (01235) 510774 so that SOFEA can relay your message to a Social Prescribing Link Worker, although you must be registered with one of Didcot’s GP surgeries to access this support.
In Milton Keynes, you can make use of Social Prescribing services via Age UK by emailing them at live.life@nhs.net or by calling 01908 973720. You can also contact the GP surgery you are registered with to ask what provisions they may already have in place.
To find out more on Social Prescribing in your area, you can either self-refer, get a referral to a Social Prescribing Link Worker through your GP, local authorities, pharmacy, multi-disciplinary teams, hospital discharge teams, allied health professionals, the fire service, the police, Job Centres, social care services, housing associations and VCSE organisations. However, this functions differently at each Primary Care Network, so we advise that patients to contact their surgery to find out to self-refer.