Thinking about implementing, or improving your, social prescribing program? This article gives an outline of the key insights from our recent webinar where Debbie Melling, Community Manager at East Staffordshire PCN, and Alistair Whittle, Head of Growth at Joy, discussed practical tools for effective social prescribing.

Joy is thrilled to announce a partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support. Rolling out over the next month, the Macmillan Cancer Support line will be embedded in the Joy GP app. Referrals can be made to Macmillan directly bringing a wealth of resources and support to individuals and families impacted by cancer diagnoses.

Link Workers are champions of social prescribing. Proactive and flexible, they empower people to take control of their wellbeing journey, offering continuous support and motivation along the way. But what exactly makes a good Social Prescriber?

Social prescribing complements medical care by offering an alternative form of support that emphasises social needs, such as increased community belonging and reduced feelings of loneliness.

A strengths-based approach moves away from what people cannot do. Instead, it embraces an individual's ambitions and targets wellbeing improvement by building on personal and community assets.

Youth social prescribing has the potential to address the unique support needs of young people. A link worker may offer a young person personalised care that may not otherwise be available.

From wellbeing to service user satisfaction - these are the metrics that demonstrate the efficacy of social prescribing to help increase funding and convince policymakers.

The success of social prescribing depends on the quality and stability of its support infrastructure, from a strong, reliable VCSE sector and trained Link Workers to secure funding for local groups, activities and services.

While quick prescriptions may only treat the symptoms of a condition, Social Prescribing Link Workers can offer patients the necessary time to identify and tackle root causes.

MyType1 is an online portal designed to empower individuals living with Type 1 diabetes to take control of their health. We are thrilled to announce that the Joy GP App will have a built in pathway to MyType1, bringing support to more people with Type 1 diabetes and their families.

Digital technology creates a wide range of opportunities for improving the delivery of social prescribing programmes, from increased cost-effectiveness to a superior client experience through automation and communication.

Sleepstation is a digital sleep clinic offering evidence based and clinically validated sleep therapy and a proven solution for chronic insomnia. The Joy GP App will streamline insomnia referrals to Sleepstation with a built in form directly in EMIS or SystmOne.

Even though social prescribing is not a substitute for psychological support, it facilitates opportunities for other forms of local community care and enables additional support for socially-determined mental health concerns.

With a strong understanding of local community needs, social prescribing can ease the burden on healthcare services, such as 28% fewer GP consultations and 24% fewer attendances at A&E.

Joy has partnered with Meaningful Measures to integrate their MYCaW® questionnaire into its platform. MYCaW® is an easy-to-use and validated questionnaire that when incorporated into a consultation, allows health professionals to capture the diverse well-being needs of clients.