Social prescribing connects patients to community-based activities, groups and services that could help improve their health and wellbeing.
Social prescribing is run by link workers, whose duties can vary but typically include:
- working alongside patients to understand their needs and goals, and planning how to achieve these
- support with form filling
- signposting/directly referring to relevant services
- supporting and encouraging patients to engage in community activities (only for patients requiring extra help)
Which patients could benefit from social prescribing?
✅ Social prescribing can help patients with:
- social isolation (elderly, lone parents, bereaved, carers)
- low level mental health (depression/low mood, anxiety, stress)
- low level addiction and recovery
- long-term health conditions (e.g., chronic pain, diabetes, dementia)
- blue badge applications
- food bank vouchers
- building a healthy lifestyle and being physically active
- employment, training and volunteering opportunities
- housing, benefits and financial advice
- asylum seekers casework, appeals or hearings (signposting only)
- immigration and/or Home Office queries (signposting only)
❌ Social prescribing cannot help patients with:
- social services referrals (see our Social Care Referrals page for how to access)
- writing medical letters to the council, DWP, Job Centre or PiP on behalf of a patient
- unstable/unmanaged serious mental illness
How to refer
📍Lambeth
💻 EMIS → send a task to PCN social prescriber (Fiona McLees)
📍Lewisham
💻 EMIS → refer via the Joy platform
If the Joy app is downloaded to your PC/laptop, Joy will pop up any time you open EMIS. If it is not, please contact IT.
📍Southwark
💻 EMIS → refer via cross-organisational booking at the hub
Organisation: ‘QHS Extended Access’
Slot type: ‘Social prescribing phone triage South Walworth’
Please note QHS do not offer housing support.
For urgent issues (e.g. homelessness) select slot type ‘Social prescribing high priority phone triage’
All other routine appointments have a 4 week wait.