Many things affect our health and wellbeing, not just medical issues. In some cases your doctor, or other healthcare professional, may refer you to the social prescribing service.
Northumbria Primary Care Network Social Prescribing Service aims to offer support with your health and wellbeing and can help to connect you to a range of services.
The social prescribing service is an NHS service, funded by Northumbria PCN and delivered in partnership with Adapt (North East).
Read more about social prescribing or watch this short animation.
How we support you
A Social Prescriber’s role is to help you to address the non-medical issues in your life that may be having an impact on your health and wellbeing.
Our main aim is to connect you to appropriate forms of support from voluntary and community organisations and sometimes from NHS and other statutory services. Where needed we can work closely with your GP practice and other services involved in your care, in order to best support you.
Once a referral has been received your Social Prescriber will contact you to arrange an assessment of your needs and priorities. The Social Prescriber will then work together with you to make a plan to support your wellbeing.
The intensity of support you receive will depend on your individual needs. You will initially have up to eight sessions with your Social Prescriber and you can choose to stop receiving support from the Living Well Service at any time.
Your Social Prescriber will not have direct access to your medical records, but information may be shared between your GP practice and the Living Well Service both during the referral process and if it is felt that clinical input is needed to best support you. Your Social Prescriber will also send a short report back to your GP practice after your sessions have been completed.
We can speak to you on the phone or meet in person to:
- Discuss any issues you are facing
- Explore what is important for you
- Find local services and activities
- Give you support to access them
Services to help you feel better
We can help you access a variety of services which may include:
- Housing, benefits and financial support and advice
- Employment, training and volunteering
- Education and learning
- Healthy lifestyle advice and physical activity
- Arts, music, outdoor and creative activities
- Befriending and counselling services
- Emotional support groups (such as professional or peer-led support for specific circumstances or conditions)
Eligibility
To access the Social Prescribing Service service you need to:
- Be over the age of 18
- Want support with non-clinical issues that are impacting your health or wellbeing
- Want to engage with a social prescribing approach to improve your wellbeing
- Be a registered patient at one of the following West Northumberland GP practices:
Ponteland Medical Group
Cramlington Medical Group
Elsdon Avenue Surgery
The Rothbury Practice
Haydon Bridge and Allendale Medical Practice
Please note that the service may not be appropriate for all circumstances and in this case, you may be signposted or offered a referral to a service more appropriate to your needs.
How to access the service
You can be referred to the Social Prescribing Service by your GP practice or you can self-refer into the service.
If you wish to request a referral to a Social Prescriber then please speak to any member of your GP practice team or download, complete and return the self-referral form.
For further information, or if you need help to self-refer, please contact the Social Prescribing Service directly on 01434 600599 (option 4).
