Monthly talk: Chloe Wood – Social prescribing

The visiting speaker at our April meeting was Chloe Wood.  Chloe is a member of the ‘social prescribing’ team which operates across a number of surgeries around this area, including the Barton Surgery.  This is a relatively new type of provision but it is clearly one which is much needed and is being very well received by medical professionals and patients alike.

I do not think I am alone in not having heard of social prescribing until recently.  However, the greater awareness of mental health issues, isolation and loneliness experienced by so many people across our society, as well as the unprecedented pressures on our GP and other ‘mainstream’ health services, have contributed to the creation of alternatives to ‘conventional’ provision.

There is now a greater appreciation of how other strategies can help to alleviate some of the medical and mental health problems experienced by so many people.  GPs and other medical professionals are clear that a great many people who come to them are often experiencing problems as a result of social and lifestyle problems of many kinds.  If these are addressed, some of the other issues can be more successfully dealt with.

An initial consultation with a member of the social prescribing team can last an hour – a length of time which most ‘mainstream’ practitioners would love to have!  Subsequent appointments are usually 30 minutes long.  All consultations are subject to the important requirements of confidentiality.  If an individual wishes to be accompanied by a friend or a family member, that is perfectly acceptable.  Patients are often referred by a GP but anyone can ‘self-refer’ if they wish.  The outcome of a consultation can be suggestions about how to develop strategies to make changes with lifestyle and perhaps to connect with other people, often through engagement with organisations which offer stimulation, company and personal support.

Many people’s mental and physical health issues are a result of life circumstances – poor housing, poverty, unemployment, family break up.  A social practitioner can put a patient in touch with experts in these fields.  This might include the Citizens Advice Bureau or other body which has expertise in financial, legal, housing or other specialist areas.

Whatever a social prescriber suggests is based on a broader understanding of how individuals are living their lives than can be accommodated by a GP in a standard consultation.  It is gratifying to know that the u3a is one of the organisations which is regarded as offering a positive contribution to some people’s lives – friendship, personal support, opportunities for mental stimulation, physical activities, broadening interests.

Chloe described a number of case studies, highlighting the remarkable range of people who are accessing their services.  These included people across the full age range from a three year old child (a very rare example – and accompanied by the child’s parents) through to elderly people.

I imagine that many of us will know someone within our family or network of friends and neighbours who might benefit from working with the social prescribing team, so why not share what we have learned about social prescribing to raise awareness across the community?

John Vick