More people than ever before benefiting from ‘social prescriptions’ as Greater Manchester leads the way

Social prescribing supports people’s wider health and wellbeing, focusing on the whole person, rather than concentrating on a particular illness.

The number of people benefiting from social prescribing, a new way of boosting health and wellbeing, has more than doubled in Greater Manchester since last year.

By referring people to non-clinical services, social prescribing helps people to connect with community groups and activities that provide non-medical support for mental and physical health and wellbeing

GPs, social workers and other health and care staff are using social prescribing to support people’s wider health and wellbeing, focusing on the whole person, their life and circumstances rather than concentrating on a particular illness.

This kind of approach has been happening informally at a local level for decades across Greater Manchester. Following recent recognition by the health and care system nationally, and enhanced support regionally, a social prescribing service is growing rapidly across the region.

To support the continued expansion of social prescribing in Greater Manchester, Elemental social prescribing software is now available to all NHS bodies and councils. This will allow health and care professionals to connect people with community groups and activities quickly and easily at the click of a button.

Dianne Gardner, public health specialist, Rochdale Borough Council said: “We’ve already seen some fantastic results from social prescribing across the borough, particularly for those who are feeling isolated. Link workers have the time to really understand what will make a change to someone’s overall health and wellbeing. Signposting people to our voluntary and community sector has helped them to develop and grow, building confidence and self-esteem.”

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Social prescribing is about empowering people to take control of their own health and wellbeing, helping them to become more resilient and strengthening the support networks in their community.

“Many appointments at GP surgeries are down to issues around wider social determinants of health. Social prescribing is therefore a key pillar of the Live Well approach, set out in our Health Plan, to address health inequalities in adulthood. It has the potential to reduce the clinical prescribing bill for the NHS by shifting our focus from a particular illness to the whole person, encompassing issues that we know impact on people’s health like housing and someone’s employment situation.

“I am so proud of the amazing progress we have made so far with social prescribing in our city-region. We want social prescribing to be routinely offered through any public service and to become an integral part of how we do things here in Greater Manchester.”

Giles Wilmore, lead for people and communities, Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership said: “We know social prescribing has already made a difference to so many people whether it’s tackling loneliness and isolation, managing depression and anxiety or getting back to work - we’ve heard amazing stories from right across the region. Now we need to go further and faster so that as many people as possible can benefit from this approach.

“We want social prescribing to become as commonplace, and just as easy, as booking a blood test or a hospital outpatient appointment.”