Sue's Story: The Ripple Effect of Social Prescribing

“I was referred by my GP for support. I’ve had mental health needs for a long time and I’d recently attempted suicide. The trauma I experienced in my past makes it difficult to trust people and support services. My social prescriber earned my trust by staying in touch and meeting regularly and consistently. We built a good relationship that I could rely on. We explored lots of community-based support and options together, and I realised I had an interest in becoming a peer support volunteer so I could help others with similar challenges. We reached out to the local Volunteer Agency and I started attending a peer ambassador course, which I passed

Thanks to my social prescriber I’m thriving, becoming more social and I’m applying for jobs. I wouldn’t have reached this point without the support of my social prescriber who cared and wanted to help me live a happy life.”

It’s not new news that social prescribing can substantially reduce pressure on the NHS, through reduced GP appointments, reduced hospital admissions and reduced A&E visits. Our social prescribing team has recorded a 41% reduction in GP appointments across their four teams. This coupled with significant improvements in patients’ mental health and wellbeing, reductions in loneliness and on use of community infrastructure, clearly demonstrates the value the service brings to the wider health network.

Even with stories like Sue’s and the data to confirm its value, social prescribing as we know it is going to have to evolve to meet new demands, but we see its future as an integral part of the new NHS Neighbourhood Health model. Our work already aligns with the Neighbourhood Health guidelines aims to create healthier communities. If the goal is to “help people of all ages live healthy, active and independent lives for as long as possible while improving their experience of health and social care, and increasing their ability to manage their own care” then our social prescribing team is already doing this and can work with the primary care networks to continue this work within the framework of the new neighbourhood model.

To find out more about our Social Prescribing service contact Lucy Cushley at lucy.cushley@teessidemind.org.uk