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Chapter 18 - Social Prescribing

from Section 4 - Clinical Skills in Lifestyle Medicine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2025

By
Alex Maxwell
Edited by
Richard Pinder ,
Christopher-James Harvey  and
Ellen Fallows
Richard Pinder
Affiliation:
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
Christopher-James Harvey
Affiliation:
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
Ellen Fallows
Affiliation:
British Society of Lifestyle Medicine
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Summary

Social prescribing is a personalised care approach that connects individuals to community resources for health and wellbeing. There is a rich history of social prescribing initiatives in the UK, including the Peckham experiment and the Bromley-By-Bow Centre. There are six types of social prescribing resources: physical activity, arts and crafts, nature, social support, statutory services, and education. The NHS model for social prescribing includes link workers, referral systems, workforce development, and outcome frameworks. Challenges in measuring the effectiveness of social prescribing are many: differentiating between outputs and outcomes. Economically evaluating social prescribing is complex, and robust evaluations are needed. Principles for future success emphasise quality research and multidisciplinary collaboration. A comprehensive understanding of social prescribing is crucial to unlock its full potential.

Keywords

Social prescribingPersonalised careNon-clinical supportCommunity engagementHealth and well-beingNHS long-term planPhysical activityMental healthHealth service useEconomic evaluation
Type
Chapter
Information
Essential Lifestyle Medicine , pp. 204 - 212
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

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