All surgeries now signed up to social prescribing

Sunday 05 March 2023

Everyone - no matter which doctors surgery they are registered at - can now benefit from social prescribing if advised by their GP.

All doctor surgeries in Guernsey are now signed up to the scheme which sees patients prescribed with community-based support for any non-medical needs they may have.

Queens Road Medical Practice has joined, making the scheme accessible to everyone through each of the three medical practices in the island: Healthcare Group, IslandHealth and Queens Road.

Pictured: All GPs in Guernsey are now signed up to the Social Prescribing scheme.

Bailiwick Social Prescribing Link Workers offer support with unmet, non-medical needs such as loneliness, isolation, anxiety, housing needs, financial concerns and changes in circumstance, which can be affecting their health.

The Link Workers are trained in listening to their clients so they can find ways to help, often by supporting them to attend groups such as art, singing, physical activity or volunteering. Patients are also helped to access statutory services.

Link Worker Manager, Trish De Carteret said she was delighted to welcome Queens Road to the scheme.

"We are really excited to be working with Queens Road Medical Practice as now we have the opportunity to offer the Bailiwick Social Prescribing scheme to the whole island. We are looking forward to being able to support more people to overcome barriers affecting their health and wellbeing within the supportive and empowering environment of Social Prescribing.

"Queens Road Medical Practice patients will already be aware of Social Prescribing from the practice’s early adoption of their own scheme and we look forward to offering a seamless transition over to Bailiwick Social Prescribing for their patients."

Dr Piers Mitchell is the Queens Road Medical Practice Clinical Lead for Social Prescribing. He said the scheme has an island-wide benefit.

"People’s health is frequently affected by what is going on in their lives. Social, emotional and practical difficulties can result in illness and Social Prescribing helps to address these using a variety of approaches."

Pictured: Dr Piers Mitchell.

Dr Mitchel continued: "Building on our previous experience in this area, we are delighted to now be partnering with Bailiwick Social Prescribing, which has laid the foundations for an island-wide scheme of the highest standard. Over the coming years we hope this initiative will help many more of our patients to tackle issues that are directly affecting their health. By complementing the work done in Primary Care we should see better long-term health outcomes across the island."

The Health Improvement Commission runs the scheme which is still in its pilot stage. 

Since it was launched two summers ago, the team have helped nearly 400 people with referrals from 95% of GPs across Island Health and Healthcare.

The Health Improvement Commission was recently awarded a grant from the Social Investment Fund to continue Bailiwick Social Prescribing until the end of 2024, with this medium-term security enabling QRMP to join the other two practices in the scheme.

People can also access Bailiwick Social Prescribing via Healthy Minds.