Anyone Benefited From Social Prescribing?

[QuietButBold]

I am rather puzzled; as my GP sent me a letter saying they recommended me to the "Social Prescribing" service based in our GP Practice. I am not familiar with this service. I cannot find anything on our Practice website about this service.

Unfortunately, our GP contact these days is all via online triage web pages - so not attempting that - as you have no control over who in the Practice "triages" your correspondence - which I have found rather promotes talking at crossed purposes.

I have the first appointment today - with the Social Prescribing "Wellbeing Worker, Primary Care Team". Their appointment confirmation email said the service relies on patient input - but there is no guidance on how to prepare for the (up to 6) appointments.

The appointment confirmation email (cryptically) just says:

"My role is to support you in exploring practical strategies and connecting with community resources that can help improve your wellbeing during challenging times. While these sessions differ from counselling, they provide a space to reflect on your situation and identify manageable and meaningful steps forward. Your input is key, as this ensures any suggestions we discuss are tailored to your priorities and circumstances. The Wellbeing Service is a short-term intervention, offering up to six sessions."

...I hope you are imagining the blank look on my face by this point! Context? I guess I will discover more later today.

Has anyone else experienced / benefitted from this "Social Prescribing" service in England?

What sort of things would they usually be talking about? I am unclear what "input" they expect from me.

(I am not sure what to expect or how to prepare as:

- the mention about this service on our County Council website reads like a rather waffle-laden press release,

- the national materials mostly seem aimed at either recruiting Link Workers or helping GPs to justify how it will save them time and money

- I have yet to find a web page or PDF brochure aimed at patients).

Oh, well, I shall take a notebook and pen and, as a Teacher used to advise us about life: ...if in doubt, sit up and look interested!

[QuietButBold]

Update: as it turned out; the appointment was all about potential Wellbeing activity suggestions ...each venue of which would involve a circa 23 mile round trip, self-funded by car (there is no public transport), to a local market town - once or twice a week - all day (at £6.00 car parking for that duration).

Not quite sure what I had imagined / anticipated about the appointment - however, I certainly had not envisaged that particular scenario. (Particularly, as our GP Practice serves a predominantly very rurally located cohort of patients).

Now; you can perhaps imagine more of a ...well, frankly, perplexed face on my part.

Those commissioning suggestions may indeed be excellent for those residents actually living in that market town. If living elsewhere ...then I am not so sure how many people would be able to take up such opportunities (i.e. short notice availability of the considerable time attendance / commitment proposed, adding the access to transport, plus the budget to instantaneously divert towards attending those schemes) for it to then also equate to a Wellbeing outcome.

Perhaps (hopefully) Social Prescribing might work differently in other areas of the Country. I hope that is the case.

I do understand the importance of managing stress as being a sensible thing in support of liver health etc. - and yet, from my perspective, the Wellbeing strategies themselves ought not to add stress to an already challenging situation.

[2022minks]

Not heard of this but if this, in our area derbyshire they had a course living with a long term health condition course, it took you through different coping methods so I'm not sure if this is a similar course or whether yours covers counselling after a diagnosis. It might seem a waste but please give it a try and do keep our group posted. There is so little in support for Liver disease patients that if we can feedback on what we all come across and our experiences it widens our own network. Xx