For people whose GP is part of South Lincs Rural Primary Care Network (PCN) please download the PCN’s referral form instead and email it directly to the address on the form.
Practices within South Lincs Rural PCN:
- Gosberton Medical Centre
- Moulton Medical Centre
- Sutterton Surgery
- Galletly Practice
- Abbeyview Surgery
- Holbeach Medical Centre
- Littlebury Medical Centre
- The Suttons Medical Group
- Deepings Practice
What is Social Prescribing?
Many of life’s problems can make us feel unwell. Sometimes we all need a bit of support to help us get through the tough times.
Social prescribing is where a person can be put in touch with a Social Prescribing Link Worker.
A Link Worker’s role is to ask what’s important to that person and help them find the right support.
Social Prescribing Link Workers can connect people to a wide range of non-medical support within the community.
For example:
· Social groups, friendship / emotional support
· Support for families, carers and other close relationships
· Housing, benefits, financial and other advice
· Ways to look after our health or become more active
· Opportunities to build confidence, learn new skills or reduce anxiety
· Arts, music or other creative activities
· Getting out and about
Social Prescribing Link Workers are based in local voluntary and community organisations or doctor’s surgeries across the whole of Lincolnshire.
What is LVET’s role?
LVET supports the development of social prescribing and community-based support across the whole county by:
- Working with GPs through the Primary Care Network Alliance
- Involving our members (voluntary and community groups, social enterprises) and other community-based services that have an interest in health and wellbeing
- Connecting with NHS Trusts, Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Public Health and Adult Social Care
- Influencing policy-makers, commissioners and other funders based on local intelligence and evidence
LVET members, Voluntary Centre Services (VCS) and Lincolnshire CVS (LCVS), employ many of the county’s Social Prescribing Link Workers. LVET works with them and the Primary Care Networks (PCNs) that employ Link Workers to develop consistency, share best practice and gather evidence of the impact on people.
A bit of background
‘Social prescribing and community-based support’ is one of the six elements of personalised care.
The NHS Long Term Plan says personalised care will become business as usual across the health and care system. Personalised care is based on ‘what matters’ to people, and their individual strengths and needs.
For more information about personalised care in Lincolnshire visit https://www.itsallaboutpeople.info/
Ways to wellbeing
Tips for mental wellbeing from Shine Lincolnshire.
Info on how to start getting more physically active.
Or check out the Five Ways to Wellbeing in this 6 minute video:
BBC video clip – social prescribing and mental health
On 20th January 2021 the BBC aired a primetime BBC1 programme, The Truth About… Improving Your Mental Health.
For the programme, presenter Professor Tanya Byron visited the Bromley by Bow Centre in London to find out more about social prescribing, how it works and what impact it has on loneliness and mental health. (7 minutes).