What is Social Prescribing?
Social Prescribing (SP) is an innovative way of bridging the gap between health services and non-medical support. It’s based on the understanding that many health issues are related to social, emotional or practical needs – like loneliness, isolation, or problems with debt or housing. These challenges cannot be solved by medicine or doctors alone.
Through the SP-EU programme, General Practitioners (GPs) can refer patients to a link worker – someone who spends time getting to know the patient on a more personal level and helps them find the right community activities or services, such as exercise classes, social clubs, or advice services. This kind of support helps people build confidence, reduce isolation, and take control of their own health.
International Definition
The internationally accepted definition of Social Prescribing is:
“A means for trusted individuals in clinical and community settings to identify that a person has non-medical, health-related social needs and to subsequently connect them to non-clinical supports and services within the community by co-producing a social prescription – a non-medical prescription, to improve health and well-being and to strengthen community connections.” 1
There are now Social Prescribing programmes in more than 30 countries around the world 2, with different models. For example, in Singapore, referrals to Social Prescribing services come from hospitals. The SP-EU programme focuses specifically on Social Prescribing that originates from primary care, and which involves patients being referred by a GP to a ‘link worker’.
Key Features of Social Prescribing
- Holistic approach: Focuses on the whole person, not just their symptoms, by considering social, emotional, and practical needs.
- Community-based support: connects individuals to local services and activities such as creative groups, practical advice services, housing support, physical activity, mental health courses, volunteering, and more.
- Link workers: In most cases, trained staff (sometimes also known as community connectors or social prescribers) work with patients to develop personalised support plans.
- Improves overall well-being: Helps reduce stress and isolation, improves mental health, and encourages healthier lifestyles.
Benefits of Social Prescribing
- Eases pressure on primary care
- Enhances patient engagement and self-management
- Addresses social determinants of health
- Reduces the overall burden on the healthcare system
