This document discusses social prescribing, which refers patients with non-clinical needs to community services. It outlines benefits for patients like improved health and confidence, and benefits for healthcare providers like reduced visits and more appropriate care. Examples are given of social prescribing models in primary care and hospitals. The document also discusses pilots of social prescribing in Leicestershire, including at a medical practice, to demonstrate effectiveness and reduce reliance on statutory healthcare.

1. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Voluntary Action
LeicesterShire
VCS Health and Social Care Forum
Social Prescribing

2. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Social Prescribing
Definition:
“A means of enabling primary care services to refer
patients with social, emotional or practical needs
to a range of local, non-clinical services, often
provided by the voluntary and community sector
(VCS).”

3. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Benefits of Social Prescribing
To patients:
•Improved health and wellbeing
•Supports health and lifestyle change
•Improved self esteem and confidence
•Offer of accompanied visits
•More specialised local knowledge
•Speed of referral
•Allows time to be heard

4. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Benefits of Social Prescribing
For Health professionals:
•Reduces frequent practice attendance
•More appropriate use of GP time
•Easy referral
•Provides links between VCS and statutory
sector
•Increased range of practical services
•Encourages and supports self care

5. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Benefits of Social Prescribing
To Health & Social Care Economy:
•Decreased reliance on statutory health
services
•Decrease in clinical prescribing
•Decreased need for acute services

6. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Primary Care Model

7. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Primary Care Model
Expected Outcomes:
•After six months Fred has attended the GP
less
•Fred is happier
•Fred has a healthier lifestyle

8. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Secondary Care Model

9. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Secondary Care Model
Expected Outcomes:
•After six months Sarah has attended A&E
less frequently
•Sarah has been supported in engaging with
community services
•Sarah is happier and living more healthily

10. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
What Needs to Change?
• Need much more awareness of VCS
services in localities – VCS Directories
• Need Statutory partners to recognise the
professionalism of VCS provision
• Need to be able to cost our services
effectively

11. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
What Needs to Change?
• VCS groups demonstrating the
effectiveness of service provision
• Pilots established in City and County to
confirm social prescribing works
• Recognition that VCS services aren’t free
but they are more cost effective and
deliver better outcomes

12. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Local Developments
• Leicestershire County Council Health
Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Have
recommended that Social Prescribing is
established within GP Practice in County –
discussions ongoing
• University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
– Requested development of Social
Prescribing pilot for Emergency Department

13. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Local Developments
• VAL contacted by Police to look at
possibility of Social Prescribing service for
“frequent callers”
• Pilot commencing at Hedges Medical
Practice in Eyres Monsell

14. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Hedges Medical Practice
• Discussions with GP following Health and
Social Care Forum
• Meetings with Practice Manager and Patient
Participation Group (PPG) to explain model
• VAL providing training to PPG volunteers
• GP surgery providing space for Social
Prescribing Clinic

15. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Hedges Medical Practice
• VAL developed City Directory of VCS
Services
• GP’s providing lists of “frequent attenders”
who could benefit from Social Prescribing
• First Social Prescribing Clinic in late August
• Pilot will run until end of March 2015 and
evaluation report produced

16. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Case Study
• The Bridge – Homelessness to Hope

17. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Any questions?

18. Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”
Thank You
Voluntary Action LeicesterShire
working in the City and across the County to
“Help people change their lives for the better”