Simple changes hold key to scaling up social prescribing

A new report has revealed how NHS facilities can implement small changes to better support communities’ health and well-being through social prescribing.

The report, launched by NHS Property Services (NHSPS) and The King’s Fund, coincides with a roundtable event at The King’s Fund, which will see experts discuss the findings and next steps to support the NHS to deliver on the ambitions of the Long Term Plan, which has pledged to refer at least 900,000 people to social prescribing by 2023/24.

Social prescribing enables GPs, nurses and other primary care professionals to refer people to a range of local, non-clinical services to support their health and well-being – this includes activities such as gardening, cooking or art classes. Research found that one fifth of patients would like to have access to yoga or mindfulness training and one in ten would like some form of learning space within their community (classes on language, art or managing finances).

Social Prescribing and NHS Facilities recommends creating welcoming environments for people to carry out a broader range of activities in and around their current healthcare facility. It also highlights the need to make it practically easier for communities to use NHS facilities by removing bureaucratic rules, enabling us to create more vibrant social prescribing hubs.

Instead of focusing on major new projects, the report revealed that smaller transformations such as turning a small outdoor space into an allotment, allocating kitchen space to a weekly evening cooking class or giving a charity access to unused space to run a food bank can make a lasting and impactful change on communities. Over 2,000 people in England are also aligned with this, with nearly one fifth of NHSPS’ survey respondents requesting additional community services such as support groups, exercise classes or nutrition programmes.

Research conducted by NHSPS has shown that 38 per cent of patients want access to mental health services, with this increasing to 49 per cent in those aged 24-35. With up to 10 million people needing either new or additional mental health support as a result of the pandemic, the mental health crisis cannot be tackled by medical interventions alone.

Deborah Prince, director of Customer Services at NHSPS said: “In the wake of the pandemic we are facing a health crisis like never before and we need to find better ways of using our facilities that improve health and well-being without putting further burden on the system. Social prescribing can help us do just that.”
 
“While there is often focus on investment in large infrastructure, the report findings show that in actual fact smaller changes to local health centres can have a significant impact on people’s wellbeing, and help communities become more involved in their own healthcare. They will also likely be easier to implement and sustain in the long term. We will be working in close partnership with our partners and communities, to ensure these findings inform how we use NHS facilities to better support the public’s health and well-being through social prescribing activities moving forwards.”

Ben Collins, from the King’s Fund, said: “Social prescribing isn’t new, and we know there are clear benefits to providing a wider range of health and wellbeing services within NHS sites; however how we deliver this at scale is key. The report helps to tackle some of these barriers and provide steps as to how we can start to create more vibrant health hubs across the country, similar to those already thriving in Bromley-by-Bow and Trafford. We look forward to discussing this in more detail with NHSPS, representatives from NHS England and social prescribing groups, determining how we can work together to ensure NHS facilities are used effectively to meet local people’s needs, in partnership with the communities themselves.”