Social prescribing: from rhetoric to reality

About this event

This one-day event explored the range of benefits of social prescribing, and how best to measure and evaluate the impact and outcomes. Pioneering local areas shared their approach, challenges and achievements, and provided practical resources for commissioners and practitioners to develop schemes in their own locality.

Presentations

Breakfast workshop

• Dr Brian Fisher, Vice Chair of the New NHS Alliance and clinical and strategy director for Evergreen Life.

Session one: Opening plenary

• Dr Michael Dixon, National Clinical Champion for Social Prescribing, NHS England, Co-chair, Social Prescribing Network and Chair of Council, College of Medicine
• Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair, Royal College of General Practitioners

• Dave Sweeney, Director of Transformation and Deputy Chief Officer, NHS Halton Clinical Commissioning Group
• Dr Cliff Richards MBE, Chair, NHS Halton Clinical Commissioning Group

Breakout A: Embedding social prescribing and self-care through sustainability and transformation plans (STPs)

• Shaun Crowe, Programme Lead, Personalisation and Self-Care Programme, Healthy London Partnership and Senior Manager, New Models of Care, NHS England (London)
• Jane Barnacle, Director for Information and Technology, NHS England (London) and Senior Responsible Officer for the Healthy London Partnership’s Digital and Proactive Care programmes

• Tim Anfilogoff, Head of Community Resilience, Hertfordshire County Council

Breakout B: Valuing community assets, building health creating communities

• Anita Cameron Smith, Head of Strategy, Isle of Wight Council
• Sam Clark, Chief Executive, Local Area Coordination Network

• Sian Brand, Lead Programme Manager, Connect Well, Social Prescribing Project

Breakout C: Reshaping mental health support around what matters to people

• Jo Painter, Nurse Consultant, Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber Mental Health Trust

• Jill Poole, Health and Wellbeing Service Manager, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
• Debs Taylor, Expert by Experience and Peer Project Support Officer, Creative Minds

Breakout D: Harnessing the potential of the natural environment to support social prescribing

• Dr William Bird MBE, CEO, Intelligent Health

• Neil Mapes, CEO, Dementia Adventure

Breakout E: Enhancing self-care for people with long-term conditions

• Anny Ash and Bhaveshree Chandegra, Macmillan Social Prescribers, The Bromley by Bow Centre

Session three: Building the evidence case

• Janet Wheatley, CEO, Voluntary Action Rotherham

• Dr Marie Polley, Co-Chair, Social Prescribing Network, Senior Lecturer in Health Sciences and Research, University of Westminster

Session four: Building the movement nationally and locally

• Rob Webster, Chief Executive, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and STP lead for West Yorkshire

• Alex Fox, CEO, Shared Lives Plus and Independent Chair of the Joint VCSE Review

What is social prescribing?

Social prescribing involves empowering individuals to improve their health and wellbeing and social welfare by connecting them to non-medical and community support services. It is an innovative and growing movement, with the potential to reduce the financial burden on the NHS and particularly on primary care.

Read our explainer >