Research Launch: the Neighbourhood Health Service, faith groups and social prescribing

One in five GP appointments are for non-medical reasons. At a time when demand for GP consultations is at an all-time high and the pressure on secondary services is overwhelming, Lord Dhazi’s report of 2024 stresses the need to prioritise neighbourhood level care, prevent ill-health and tackle health inequalities. 

Social prescribing plays a vital role in providing practical support for people who are struggling with loneliness, low-level mental health conditions, caring responsibilities and financial issues such as debt.

Over the last 15 months, ChurchWorks has been partnering with Theos to explore the role of faith groups in social prescribing. We have found that faith groups already contribute significantly to the wellbeing of their local communities through a range of activities such as parent and toddler groups, chaplaincy and listening services, and Warm Welcome Spaces. With their focus on community, relationship and holistic wellbeing, faith groups can play a foundational role in preventative healthcare by supporting individuals to access the right support early on. 

However, there is significant potential for greater integration between faith groups and social prescribing networks. Our research report sets out a blueprint to close the gap between those social prescribing link workers who are aware of groups or activities run or supported by faith groups (85% of our survey) and those link workers who have referred anyone to a faith group in the last three months (30% of our survey).

According to the link workers we surveyed, nearly 50% said they discovered activities run or supported by faith groups through networking. More proactive networking will therefore improve knowledge sharing between faith groups and healthcare professionals.  

Join us on the 30^th January, 11am for the launch of our report findings, to hear from key case studies on the impact that faith groups can have through social prescribing and to be equipped to take next steps in your context so that the contribution of faith groups to the future of the wellbeing of our communities can be fully realised. 

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