The future and development of social prescribing – wider collaborations

Integrated Plus is a vanguard social prescribing service that strives to support local and national advances in the discipline. Over the past 10 years the service has provided support to local workers during the COVID-19 pandemic via online West Midlands Peer Support sessions and to social prescribers and staff from other Primary Care roles in Dudley via Connect and Share events. It has supported NHS England to produce training regarding the role and has collaborated in research to demonstrate the impact of social prescribing. Research includes studies from University College London, University of Oxford, and Keele University.

As a National Academy of Social Prescribing Champion and member of the Innovation Network, Richard Moss, Brierley Hill PCN Senior Social Prescribing Link Worker with Integrated Plus, is currently involved with social prescribing networks, both regional and national hosted by the National Academy for Social Prescribing. During meetings with members from the Innovation Network and Social Prescribing Champions there are regular conversations regarding innovative work and further developing the social prescribing offer across England. This has led to Richard and Integrated Plus being in contact with leaders in the discipline, researchers, service managers, and GPs interested in the long-term development of social prescribing.

As a result of these engagements and developing new partners to collaborate with the Integrated Plus service was invited to take part in multiple research studies, asked to provide participants who have accessed support from the service, and connected with London GP Clare Etherington. Clare specialises in complex conditions, health equity and wanted to develop her understanding of social prescribing. Clare’s engagement with the Integrated Plus team supported her research whilst writing a book that has since been published about personalised care roles in the NHS.

Clare’s book “New Roles in General Practice and Primary Care” has a chapter on social prescribing, focussing on Integrated Plus and the service’s journey delivering social prescribing across the Dudley Borough. It documents Integrated Plus’s 13-year history of providing support to people referred by their GPs for non-medical difficulties affecting their health and wellbeing. This collaboration provided the opportunity for everyone in the team to reflect on the services development and innovative work.

Following meetings and conversations with Integrated Plus staff Clare sent an email thanking the service for its input and support, stating:

“Since my conversations with you I have been lucky enough to be involved in supporting our local community health worker project – your stories were an inspiration to me.”

“I was bowled over by their passion and commitment. Dudley is a very fortunate place”.

For more information regarding the book, please see the attached link. New Roles in General Practice and Primary Care : Working Together for Health Equity and Patient Empowerment: Clare Etherington: 9781805012863: TGJones

For more information regarding the National Academy of Social Prescribing, please see their website: The National Academy for Social Prescribing | NASP