What would our world seem like if folks relied much less on medicines and tablets, and extra on social actions, private progress and self-development? The UK is at the moment present process two main inhabitants well being shifts: rising well being challenges amongst an ageing inhabitants, and deteriorating psychological well being in youthful generations. Collectively, these traits are rising strain on the UK’s psychological healthcare system and driving better reliance on remedy. Prescribed drugs stay the usual remedy for a lot of bodily and psychological well being circumstances. Whereas efficient in lots of circumstances, they’re typically seen as ‘treating signs fairly than the trigger’. Consequently, if people return to the identical social atmosphere that contributed to their sickness, they’re more likely to change into unwell once more.
For many years, analysis has proven that 70% of well being outcomes are attributed to social, financial and behavioural causes (Hood et al., 2016). This has led to a gradual deal with social prescribing, a type of care that refers folks to non-medical assist and providers (together with arts and tradition, heritage, pure atmosphere, bodily exercise, and recommendation and data) in native communities, to handle social wants and enhance well being and wellbeing. Though social prescribing has been rolled out for over 30 years, it was unclear whether or not social prescribing was offered equally throughout demographics. Research by Fancourt & Steptoe (2025) and Bu et al. (2025) have been designed to discover this.
Think about a world the place folks relied much less on medicines and tablets, and extra on social actions, private progress and self-development.
Strategies
Two latest research, utilizing completely different knowledge sources, seemed into the patterns and predictors of social prescribing:
- The primary paper makes use of knowledge from the English Longitudinal Examine of Ageing (ELSA), a nationally consultant cohort examine of adults aged 50+ who reported their expertise with social prescribing in 2021-23 (N=7,000) (Fancourt & Steptoe, 2025).
- The second paper makes use of knowledge from the Medical Apply Analysis Datalink (CPRD), a analysis knowledge service that collects anonymised affected person knowledge from over 2,000 GP practices throughout the UK (wherein the examine targeted on England – overlaying over 20% of GPs in 2009-2023; N=1.2m) (Bu et al., 2025).
Whereas the ELSA examine analysed knowledge based mostly on contributors’ survey responses, the CPRD examine analysed knowledge aggregately utilizing all knowledge with a medical code associated to social prescribing. Single-level regressions evaluation, multi-level regression evaluation and progress curve modelling have been used to grasp the patterns and predictors of social prescribing.
Outcomes
Tendencies and patterns
The CPRD knowledge present that social prescribing started to extend quickly and steadily following its formal integration into the NHS Lengthy Time period Plan in 2019 (NHS England, n.d.). Progress trajectories steered that the rise of social prescribing was virtually linear since 2019, rising by roughly 126 consultations or 61 sufferers per GP observe annually. In 2023, there have been round 544 consultations and 278 sufferers associated to social prescribing per observe. Primarily based on what the researchers discovered of their pattern, they estimated that round 1.6 to 1.9 million sufferers would have social prescribing recorded throughout all 6,311 GP practices in England in 2023. This equates to round 8.8 to 10 million consultations together with any discussions of social prescribing from 2019 to the top of 2023, of which, 5.2-5.9 million had social prescribing codes particularly indicating that referrals happened.
Utilizing knowledge from ELSA, researchers discovered that train courses have been probably the most frequent intervention of social prescribing, adopted by arts teams, nature-based actions, and grownup studying.
Who was almost definitely to be referred to social prescription?
Utilizing knowledge kind ELSA, outcomes from regression fashions steered that referrals have been extra widespread for people who have been older, these with recognized psychiatric circumstances and above-threshold depressive signs, and people with cardiovascular circumstances, diabetes, and persistent ache. Individuals who have been lonely have been twice as more likely to be referred, though martial standing and frequency of social contact weren’t associated. Equally, these from the bottom wealth tertile have been extra more likely to obtain referrals, as have been people receiving advantages. Nonetheless, no affiliation was discovered for the degrees of space deprivation, academic attainment, city dwelling, or working standing. Behaviourally, people who have been bodily inactive have been almost definitely to obtain referrals. The social patterning of social prescribing uptake (fairly than simply referral) produced very related findings.
When taking a look at referrals time beyond regulation between 2017 and 2023, the CPRD examine confirmed that females have been constantly overrepresented in social prescribing consultations, whereas sufferers from ethnic minority backgrounds confirmed a gradual improve since 2020, accounting for round 1 in 5 consultations in 2023. There was additionally a slight improve within the proportion of youthful adults receiving social prescribing since 2020. Equally, the proportion of individuals dwelling in disadvantaged areas who accessed social prescribing elevated from 12.5% of referrals in 2017 to 25.7% in 2023 amongst the highest 30% most disadvantaged areas. Solely round 13% of referrals have been for people from rural areas.
Who was almost definitely to refuse social prescription?
Utilizing knowledge from CPRD, 22.2% of sufferers had refused social prescribing service, which declined to 10.6% in 2021 and remained steady since. Notably, in 2019, affected person (fairly than observe) traits appeared to play an more and more essential position in service refusal. Outcomes from regression fashions steered that social prescribing refusal was extra widespread amongst older adults, males and people of white ethnicity. Over time, sufferers from much less disadvantaged areas had change into much less more likely to refuse.
Researchers estimated that round 1.6 to 1.9 million sufferers would have entry to social prescription throughout all 6,311 GP practices in England in 2023.
Conclusions
These two research spotlight the quick enlargement of social prescribing, with referrals surpassing nationwide targets of 900,000 sufferers by 2023-24 (NHS England n.d.). Such improve exhibits the clear urge for food for social prescribing, particularly in main care, and that social prescribing has the potential to achieve people from deprived backgrounds. Nonetheless, entry to social prescribing stays unequal, with folks from sure demographic teams extra more likely to obtain referrals, to participate, or to refuse. Guaranteeing equitable entry to social prescribing is important for it to function a instrument in addressing the social determinants of well being.
Social prescribing has been quickly increasing through the years, surpassing nationwide targets, but entry stays unequal.
Strengths and limitations
The 2 research, drawing on completely different knowledge sources, have properly complemented one another. As an illustration, whereas ELSA targeted on basic social prescription (so not simply these referred by GPs) reported by contributors and solely at the moment has one wave of information, CPRD had been longitudinally monitoring social prescribing data utilizing main care knowledge (so offering a extra goal measure). ELSA permits for comparisons between those that obtained social prescribing and people who didn’t, whereas the CPRD examine was restricted to sufferers with social prescribing medical codes, making comparisons not possible. Additional, ELSA comprises knowledge on prescribed interventions, which aren’t captured within the CPRD. But, CPRD has a a lot bigger pattern for researchers to determine patterns and predictors of social prescribing refusal, which isn’t potential in ELSA because of a small pattern measurement reporting social prescribing referral. Such analysis triangulation via completely different knowledge sources has enabled researchers to discover the traits, patterns, and predictors of social prescribing extra comprehensively, whereas mitigating the shortcomings inherent in particular person datasets.
Regardless of this, each research have some widespread limitations. As an illustration, whereas they helped monitor and observe the implementation of social prescribing at each native and nationwide ranges, utilizing massive and nationally consultant samples, each ELSA and CPRD knowledge at the moment lack element in social prescribing on referral causes and affected person outcomes. This has prevented researchers from gaining a nuanced understanding of social prescribing’s attain and effectiveness. Notably, it could be attention-grabbing to check effectiveness each throughout completely different interventions (e.g. arts teams vs train) inside social prescribing and between social prescribing and medical prescriptions, and the way lengthy the impacts may be noticed for.
Additional, a number of key questions stay unanswered:
- What number of occasions have sufferers been referred to social prescribing?
- What number of periods have they attended?
- Why have some folks declined the social prescribing provide?
- Do social prescribing referrals made by GPs have greater uptake charges?
Solutions to those questions will additional improve our understanding on the scalability and feasibility of social prescribing.
These two research, drawing on completely different knowledge sources, present a complete image of patterns and predictors of social prescribing, but some key questions stay to be answered.
Implications for observe
Social prescribing has been lengthy recognised in its place or complementary method to medical remedy, providing a personalised method aimed toward addressing the social determinants of well being. Proof from these two research highlights the speedy enlargement and broad attain of social prescribing throughout England, indicating that folks from much less advantaged backgrounds are additionally more and more accessing and fascinating with this method. This enlargement displays two rising developments: first, a rising emphasis on integrating psychological, social and biomedical approaches to bettering well being; and second, a shift in remedy focus, from restoration to fostering social connectedness and self-empowerment. Nonetheless, the findings from these research additionally spotlight two key issues that require additional consideration.
Firstly, though GP observe is just not the one referral pathway for social prescribing, sufferers are almost definitely to go to their GPs once they really feel unwell. On this context, it could be invaluable to discover whether or not GP referrals would possibly result in greater uptake of social prescribing in comparison with different kinds of referrals, and why some GPs are extra possible than others to refer sufferers to social prescribing. Future analysis ought to examine the effectiveness of social prescribing, in addition to individual- and neighbourhood-level elements influencing its uptake and long-term adherence amongst sufferers.
Secondly, though social prescribing reaches some much less advantaged people, entry stays unequal. To democratise social prescribing entry and engagement, reforms in well being and cultural insurance policies are wanted. Coverage initiatives might embrace rising monetary assist for third-sector group teams to boost the supply and high quality of various native actions prescribed to sufferers, in addition to elevating public consciousness of the advantages of social prescribing.
Healthcare fashions proceed to evolve, however their final aim needs to be to allow people to reside independently and lead fulfilling lives with out counting on remedy. Social prescribing could also be a option to assist this.
The final word aim of healthcare fashions needs to be to allow people to reside independently and lead fulfilling lives with out counting on remedy. Social prescribing could also be a key option to assist this.
Assertion of pursuits
The creator of this weblog works with a number of the researchers concerned within the research, however was not concerned on this piece of labor.
Hyperlinks
Main papers
Bu, F., Burton, A., Launders, N., Taylor, A. E., Richards-Belle, A., Tierney, S., Osborn, D., & Fancourt, D. (2025). Nationwide roll-out of social prescribing in England’s main care system: a longitudinal observational examine utilizing Medical Apply Analysis Datalink knowledge. The Lancet Public Well being, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00217-8
Fancourt, D., & Steptoe, A. (2025). Can social prescribing attain sufferers most in want? Patterns of (in)equalities in referrals in a consultant cohort of older adults in England. Views in Public Well being, 145(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/17579139251330767
Different references
Hood, C. M., Gennuso, Okay. P., Swain, G. R., & Catlin, B. B. (2016). County Well being Rankings: Relationships between Determinant Elements and Well being Outcomes. American Journal of Preventive Drugs, 50(2), 129–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2015.08.024
NHS England » Social prescribing. (n.d.). Retrieved 24 January 2020, from https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/
