SOCIAL PRESCRIBING IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH AND OVERALL WELLBEING FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS

The situation 

During the Covid-19 pandemic many people struggled with loneliness and isolation and in turn, this had a negative impact on their physical and mental health and wellbeing. 
As restrictions from the pandemic started to ease, Nuneaton and Bedworth Primary Care Network started to see more referrals coming from local GPs requesting support from its Social Prescribing Team. 

The Social Prescribing Team connects people to activities, groups, and services in their community to meet the practical, social and emotional needs that affect their overall health outcomes. People are assigned a social prescribing link worker who takes the time to understand what matters the most to them to develop a personalised care and support plan so they can take control of their health and wellbeing. 

The team found that patients referred to them post-pandemic had experienced a decline in their mental health, and some were struggling financially due to losing their jobs. They also found that many people felt anxious when mixing with others and that a lot of voluntary social groups had stopped and were struggling to restart giving more limited options for the team to refer patients to.

 

What we did 

The Social Prescribing Team focused on improving the confidence of the people they were supporting by building positive relationships with them. They also set up their own, new groups which patients could attend.

By taking this approach, the team found that people were more likely to attend groups and engage with others by creating social connections, breaking the cycle of loneliness and isolation. 

Alongside this, the team recognised the benefits of gentle exercise and being outdoors to both physical and mental health and combined this with the social groups offered. 

In October 2023 the weekly ‘Walk and Talk’ group was introduced offering a relaxed and informal way for people to connect with each other while enjoying the fresh air and exercise in a local park followed by warm drinks, quizzes and friendly conversation. 

 

The outcome 

Karen Ashby, Primary Care Network (PCN) Lead Social Prescribing Link Worker for Nuneaton and Bedworth PCN, said:

“The uptake for our Walk and Talk group has been incredible, with over 100 people signed up across Nuneaton and Bedworth. The positive feedback we have received from those attending has proved to us just how great the need was for this type of connection.”

Following its success, the team continued to listen to patients and address other gaps where they could offer support and develop new groups.

In addition to Walk and Talk they now run Walking Football, Buggy Talk, Seated Exercise, Active Sky Blues and the Pain Café. 

People that attend the Walking Football group have experienced positive changes to their physical and mental health. Watch the video below to hear their feedback.  

And hear from new mums who have benefited from the Buggy Talk group by watching the video below.

For further information about the groups and Nuneaton and Bedworth Primary Care Network, visit the website.