Social prescribing
Social prescribing occurs when health professionals or link workers refer patients for support in the community. This enables them to make their own health choices and develop skills to improve their health and wellbeing.
According to NHS England, social prescribing is a key component of . GPs, nurses and other members of the primary care team can refer people to a range of local, non-clinical services often provided by the voluntary sector.
This can help individuals experience a better quality of life, improved mental and emotional wellbeing and lower levels of depression and anxiety.
Our General Practice Nursing Forum has developed this content to raise awareness of the benefits of social prescribing. Within this section, you will find a range of resources, links and guidelines for the successful introduction of social prescribing in a variety of settings. See also: Social prescribing in action - evidence from a nurse-led project.
Find out more about social prescribing
These pages highlight different models and approaches to social prescribing.
General Practice Nursing Forum
Useful resources
- National Academy for Social Prescribing (2024). .
- SBB Research Group (2024). . This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of social prescribing across diverse referral pathways in the UK.
- Social Prescribing Network. .
- BMJ Open (2022). (PDF)
- NHS England (2022). .
Joyce Pickering: Social prescribing
Page last updated - 17/01/2025
