Service user outcomes of a social prescribing programme in general practice

Abstract

Introduction: Social prescription promotes the use of the community and voluntary sector within primary healthcare. It provides healthcare professionals with a non-medical referral option, which can operate alongside medical treatments, to address the non-clinical needs of patients. Social deprivation or psychosocial problems are often the source of health problems, poor wellbeing, and may lead to frequent primary and secondary care visits. To address the non-clinical needs of people, social prescribing links patients with sources of support within the third sector. There is evidence that social prescribing interventions have the potential to improve service user outcomes, however, most evaluations are small scale and limited by poor design and reporting. This study aimed to assess and explore the service user outcomes for the patients who participated in a social prescription intervention in the East of England Luton. Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted including ten semi-st)