Social prescribing results unsuccessful

A pilot scheme at East London practices has found that referring patients for social activities did not lower subsequent GP consultations or improve patients’ health outcomes, Pulse has reported.

The study examined the current social prescribing scheme being run at 22 of the 43 GP practices in City and Hackney CCG, with the intention of cutting down on GP consultation time and improving the health of isolated over-50s and people with type 2 diabetes.

The government is currently looking to increase the amount of social prescribing available for patients, but researchers have claimed that patients referred to 'link workers' in the practice continued to have higher GP consultation rates and to use more prescription medicine a year after referral than the control group. However, the researchers did say further studies needed to be undertaken.

A ‘link worker’ puts together a care plan with the patient and refers them on to one or more local services that offer programmes for activities such as gardening, cooking, art and mother and toddler groups.

The study discovered that the referred patients had much higher consultation rates before and one year after referral, eight a year on average, compared to the average of four a year for the control patients. The referrals also showed no change in general health, well-being, anxiety, depression or self-management at eight months of follow-up.