Integrated Plus share excellent outcomes from year 6 of social prescribing delivery in Dudley

The Integrated Plus social prescribing service is now into its 7th year with an experienced team continuing to provide 1-2-1 social prescribing support to vulnerable patients in the Dudley Borough aged 16 and over. The team continue to provide a valuable link to the voluntary and community sector and champion the non-clinical and social needs of patients within their GP lead multidisciplinary team meetings.

Dudley CVS are delighted to have witnessed the momentum that social prescribing is gaining. We’re proud to have been part of helping to gather valuable evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of social prescribing interventions and to have contributed towards the roll out of social prescribing roles nationally.

Our annual evaluation report for year 6 shows that support provided by the service is continuing to result in significant reductions in A&E attendances and inpatient admissions, generating strong cost avoidance figures:

• 731 patients accepted the service
• Inpatient admissions reduced by 45% after 12 months – cost avoidance of £450,500
• Attendances at A&E reduced by 32% after 12 months – cost avoidance of £22,885
• Total cost avoidance of £473,385 resulting in a net saving to the borough of £28.30 per patient

More importantly, the support continues to result in positive social outcomes for patients. After receiving support the following reductions were made in the number of patients “not managing:”

• Finance, 87% less patients
• Physical Health, 91% less patients
• Mental Health, 83% less patients
• Social Contact, 88% less patients
• Housing, 80% less patients
• Safety, 83% less patients
• Learning, 88% less patients

For more information about the service, including patient stories and reflections from members of the team, you can read the full report here: