How can we redesign NHS buildings to support social prescribing and develop a patient estate?
The NHS Long Term Plan has pledged to refer at least 900,000 people to social prescribing by 2023/24 to help improve people’s wellbeing; the fitter, healthier and more socially connected people are, the less likely it is they’ll need to access our local GP or other health professionals.
Our research shows that there's also strong appetite from the public for these services. A survey we conducted with over 2,000 people in England showed that nearly one fifth of respondents want additional community services at their healthcare facility such as support groups, exercise classes or nutrition programmes, and 38% of patients want access to mental health services, with this increasing to nearly half (49%) in those aged 24-35.
Social prescribing networks are therefore growing across the country. This provides us - the commissioners, estate owners, link workers and providers - with the challenge of ensuring the NHS is set up both now and for the future to have the greatest opportunity for improving long term community wellbeing.
So what do we need to do?
Read our report with The King's Fund
Using interviews, case studies and research, The King's Fund, supported by NHS Property Services, has recently released the report 'Social prescribing and NHS facilities' to explore:
- The current challenges that exist within the NHS estate
- How the NHS could better use its buildings to support social prescribing and holistic care
- The value of bringing health and social services together
Read the full report for in-depth insight and recommendations, or read the summary.
Blog: What do the experts think?
"There was recognition that top-down, ‘lift and drop’ approaches to spreading good practice have not worked. But as Arvind Madan put it, neither can we just rely on a small number of charismatic individuals in the social prescribing movement to spread effective approaches."
In this blog, Ben Collins, Project Director at The King's Fund, summarises key discussion points at recent roundtable with the 'dons' of social prescribing.
Read the blogHow are we supporting social prescribing?
As part of the NHS family, NHS Property Services is dedicated to supporting the delivery of the Long Term Plan to enable excellent patient care by being the best property and facilities provider for the NHS. Our role as owner and manager of 10% of the total NHS estate and 30% of its primary care estate enables us to create a fit for purpose estate, for now and the future. This puts us in prime position to support the social prescribing agenda.
We strive to work as one joined-up team, collaborating with our colleagues from different parts of the NHS and creating strong voluntary local partnerships to transform vacant space into indoor and outdoor social prescribing spaces. We involve local communities in the design and work closely with CCGs to ensure the spaces really do help address local health and social needs.
We currently have six sites, supporting a range of community groups and charities, and are developing many more up and down the country.
Find out more
Let's work together
If you have vacant space that you think would be suitable for social prescribing or would just like to discuss potential social prescribing sites for development within your area, please contact our Customer Support Centre so we can start having those conversations.
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