What is social prescribing?
Patient visit their GPs for a range of different reasons and sometimes these issues can be caused by non-medical matters such as loneliness, anxiety, unemployment, illness or debt. Your GP or practice nurse may be able to offer advice or medication to manage the physical or mental impact of these concerns, but they often cannot always help to deal with the underlying problem.
Social prescribing links patients with appropriate support and guidance. In the same way that a patient with a prescription can get their medication easily from a pharmacist, they will be able to quickly access the services that will help them improve their wellbeing.
How do I access this service?
You should speak with the team at your GP practice if you wish to access this service. Many GP practices now have social prescribers working in their teams to offer this service directly. If there isn’t a social prescriber available, they should be able to refer you to Thurrock Social Prescribing.