One of the presentations given at our Future Focus 2014 VCS conference.

1. Voluntary Action
LeicesterShire
Future Focus
Social Prescribing
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

2. Social Prescribing
Definition:
Social prescribing enables primary care services to
refer patients with social, emotional or practical
needs to a range of local services, often provided
by the voluntary and community sector
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

3. 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
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

4. 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
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

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

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

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

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

9. 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
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

10. National Examples
West Newcastle CCG Area:
– Almost half of referrals were to 41-60 year
olds.
– Physical health, mental health, lifestyle
change and improving social networks
were the top reasons for referral.
– 69% of patients increased their Short
Warwick & Edinburgh Mental Well Being
Scale (SWEMWBS) score after referral
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

11. National Examples
Bromley by Bow Centre
http://www.bbbc.org.uk/social-prescriber
– 331 referrals in a six month pilot
– 75% said that it had resolved or partially
resolved the issue
– 70% of patients said that they would not
have accessed the service without social
prescribing initiative
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

12. Challenges
• GP Engagement - in Newcastle two of the
six GP’s made up 86% of all referrals.
Limited engagement from the other GP’s in
the pilot
• Capacity for VCS groups: possibly increases
in demand
• Evaluation: there remains a need for reliable
data on pilot schemes
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

13. 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
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

14. Local Developments
• Better Care Together Strategy – Need to
move services out of hospitals into
communities
• Need to reduce the strain on Primary Care
and improve patients wellbeing
• Pilot commencing at Hedges Medical
Practice in Eyres Monsell 26 September
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

15. 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
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

16. 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
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

17. Local Developments
• West Leicestershire CCG People Powered
Delivery Group – driven by objectives
designed by patients, carers and
stakeholders – resulting in
• Social prescribing pilot being developed in
partnership with a GP practice/PPG –
consideration given to areas of deprivation,
data review of number of carers over 65
years of age, other pilots, face to face
discussions
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”

18. Questions?
• What are the bennefits of Social Prescribing
for VCS providers?
• What service or services does your
organisation provide that would benefit the
health and wellbeing of carers?
Voluntary Action Leicestershire “Helping people change their lives for the better”