Social prescribing: An emerging area for occupational therapy

Abstract

Social prescribing has been used in some form in the National Health Service (NHS) since the 1990s, but in recent years there has been increased interest and investment by the United Kingdom (UK) government to include a wider range of community interventions and activities (NHS England, 2014), in part to make the approach more sustainable (Dyson, 2014). Social prescribing links people, through general practitioner (GP), nurse or other primary care referral, to local non-medical and social welfare support agencies in the community that provide activities and social interactions that may benefit health. Social prescribing particularly targets populations facing significant social, economic or psychological risk factors that themselves contribute to many preventable diseases and conditions. Often these populations experience lifestyle and social challenges, such as smoking, drug or alcohol misuse and unemployment, which in addition may exacerbate underlying ill-health and disease (Dyson, 2014). The kinds of interventions or activities that may already exist, but would now be eligible for referral by a GP, range from 'knit and natter' clubs, health promotional educational groups, arts, creativity, learning and exercise on referral, to fishing clubs (Dyson, 2014). Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) within the NHS have been tasked to work with local social care providers, charities and other community groups to identify suitable projects for funding (NHS England, 2014). This clearly not only offers opportunities for all allied health professions (AHPs) but also meshes with related governmental drivers for AHPs to be more substantively involved in public health and the promotion of wellbeing (Public Health England and Allied Health Professions Federation, n.d.). As one such example of promoting occupational therapy to a CCG, MSc students (authors Bell and Flanagan) on a role-emerging placement at Leeds Beckett University were placed into a GP practice in a socioeconomically

Exploring the perspectives of ‘young adults’ (18–24) who have been in formal care and their experiences of attending a socially prescribed community allotment gardening group

“…Ultimately, the findings within this study illustrate how people who identify as a socio-deprived/marginalised population group can find a sense of self-identity, competency, improved mental wellbeing and mastery through co-occupation in a natural environment (Kielhofner, 2008). This supports the aim of the social prescribing agenda to use occupation to facilitate engagement in socially derived but health-related activities (Thew et al 2017).…”

Exploring the enablers and barriers to social prescribing for people living with long-term neurological conditions: a focus group investigation

“…The provision of group and individual programmes that promote health, social interaction and self-efficacy have been at the forefront of occupational therapy intervention historically [ 72 ]. According to the Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT) (2019) we are seeing a cultural shift in the way health and care is perceived and delivered, placing what matters to the individual at the heart [ 73 ].…”

Perceptions of occupational therapists in the United Kingdom on the applicability of the reflective framework for community development in occupational therapy

“…The NHS long-term plan (NHS, n.d.) outlines a number of approaches in line with these recommendations, such as prevention of ill health, ageing well and personalised care. Social prescribing is one aspect of the latter, described as linking people facing nonmedical risk factors for ill health, through general practitioner, or other primary care referral, to local agencies in the community that provide activities and social interactions that promote health (Thew et al, 2017). These developments bring many new opportunities for occupational therapists, with their expertise in promoting health through engagement in occupations.…”