Social Prescribing is a free holistic support service available to all patients 18yrs and over, that aims to improve health, wellbeing and environmental health, in a person centred way.
Your Social Prescribing Link Worker will help you to explore and plan a pathway to help you lead a healthier lifestyle. They will help build confidence and motivation, promote behaviour change and set agreed goals to keep you on track.
Social prescribing can have a significant positive impact on environmental health:
- Promotes Environmental Stewardship: By encouraging activities like community gardening, conservation projects, and nature walks, social prescribing fosters a sense of responsibility and connection to the environment.
- Reduces Healthcare Demand: Social prescribing can reduce the strain on healthcare services by addressing social determinants of health. This can lead to fewer hospital admissions and GP visits, indirectly reducing the environmental footprint of healthcare services.
- Supports Biodiversity: Activities linked to social prescribing often involve the creation and maintenance of green spaces, which can enhance local biodiversity and contribute to ecosystem health.
- Encourages Sustainable Practices: Participants in social prescribing programmes often adopt more sustainable lifestyles, such as increased physical activity and reduced reliance on motorised transport, which can lower carbon emissions.
Overall, social prescribing not only benefits individual health and well-being but also contributes to broader environmental sustainability goals.
One small lifestyle change could have major benefits to your physical and mental health.
If you would like support from our service just pop along to your GP surgery and ask any member of staff to make a referral for you.
[The following video produced by the NHS helps to explain what a social prescriber is and how they can help: https://youtu.be/Iyr5FRdiKv8?si=F0i_redlC1985G0z]
