The National Academy of Social Prescribing continues to share strong and growing evidence that social prescribing services can lead to substantial reductions in avoidable GP appointments, hospital admissions and A&E attendances. Their latest report shows that that social prescribing directly improves people’s health, strengthens communities and offers value for money. Using models from across England they highlight:  

• a 42.2% reduction in GP appointments among 1,751 patients who accessed social prescribing in Tameside and Glossop.  
• a 15.4%–23.6% reduction in A&E attendances among 5,908 patients who accessed social prescribing in Kent.  
• In Kirklees and Rotherham, frequent users of healthcare services saw GP visits and A&E attendances reduce substantially following social prescribing interventions.  
• In Newcastle, secondary care costs were 9.4% lower compared to a matched control group where social prescribing was not available.
• In Rotherham, a pre and post analysis on frequent users reported a reduction in costs up to 39% for A&E attendances.

NASP is recommending that social prescribing continues to be expanded so it is available to patients across a wider range of NHS care and treatment services. 

At First Contact Clinical we have conducted similar evaluations of our own social prescribing teams, both in primary care, the community and secondary care. Our findings show:

• a 55% reduction in GP appointments among patients who accessed social prescribing in our PCN teams.  
• a 44% reduction in A&E attendances among 4patients who accessed social prescribing following an AE attendance.  
• an estimated potential saving of £71,245.59 (Category 1 housing hazards only) per annum for 48 households who accessed our social prescribing Healthy Homes Programme.

Through the use of our Social Prescribers work with people to support them to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence to become active participants in looking after their own health. They guide and support people to reflect on and change their health-related behaviours to help them reach their self-identified health and wellbeing goals. They introduce or reconnect people to community groups and statutory services and work with local partners to identify gaps in local provision. Our internal workforce development programme ensures they develop their coaching, communication (relational way of working) and behavioural change skills, and are able to work alongside people (individually or in groups) to encourage and support them to become more engaged in managing their own health.

*First Contact Clinical was a delivery partner in Newcastle between 2015 and 2023.

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