RUGBY WELLBEING HUB: SUPPORTING LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING
2 February 2026
When life feels overwhelming, a relationship breaks down, a loved one passes away, or stress begins to build, it can be hard to know where to turn. In Rugby, people now have a place to find the right support at the right time at the Rugby Wellbeing Hub.
A joined-up approach to local wellbeing
The Wellbeing Hub brings together professionals from across the local Primary Care Network (PCN) and Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT). It includes mental health practitioners, psychologists, social prescribers, occupational therapists, and a health and wellbeing coach – all working closely with GPs across Rugby’s 12 surgeries.
The hub was created to bridge the gap between primary care and specialist mental health services. Many people who visit their GP with anxiety, low mood, or other emotional difficulties don’t meet the threshold for secondary mental health care but still need extra support. The hub was designed to fill that space by offering practical help, early intervention, and compassionate listening before problems escalate.
How it works
Any GP in Rugby can refer a patient into the Wellbeing Hub. Once a referral is received, the team reviews the request and matches the person with the most suitable professional.
Around 35–40% of referrals go to social prescribers (who connect people with non-clinical services, activities or groups within the community to provide extra support), another 35–40% go to mental health practitioners, and the remaining cases go to other wellbeing specialists.
Mental health practitioners play a vital role. They offer assessments, short-term therapeutic support, and help with issues such as medication management, anxiety, bereavement, and risk management. Their goal is to help patients navigate difficult life events or factors that impact their mental state and overall mood, while staying well and maintaining daily routines.
Talking about the role, Nicole Scott, Team Lead for Primary Care Mental Health Practitioners at Rugby Primary Care Network (PCN), said:
“We’re not a psychiatric service – we support people through the kind of life challenges that anyone might face by helping them find their footing again before things become more serious.”
Collaborative care, local impact
The hub team works alongside GP surgeries meaning patients can access support in familiar settings, often in the same room where they’ve seen their doctor before. That familiarity helps people feel comfortable and understood.
Launching in 2021, the hub has received over 1,500 referrals in 2025 alone. Patient feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many people describing the service as accessible, supportive, and life changing.
Making a difference early
The team believes strongly in early intervention and supporting people before their difficulties develop into long-term mental health problems. By providing help at the first signs of distress, the hub reduces the strain on both GP services and secondary mental health care.
Nicole added: “If we can help someone manage their anxiety after a breakup or cope with grief in those first few months, we might stop it becoming a lifelong struggle. That’s what the Wellbeing Hub is all about – prevention and early support.”
Looking ahead
The Rugby Wellbeing Hub has become a model of integrated, compassionate primary care and demonstrates how joined-up community services can transform mental health support.
As awareness of the service grows, the team hopes to expand to reach even more people in need while continuing to deliver personalised, patient-centred care.