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Adnitt Road, NN10 9TR
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+44 (0) 1933 412666
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Mon-Fri: 8AM – 6:30PM

What is Social Prescribing?

Many things affect your health and wellbeing. GPs tell us that a lot of people visit them feeling isolated or lonely. Or they might be stressed out by work, money and housing problems. Sometimes it’s the stress of managing different long-term conditions.

That’s where social prescribing comes in. It starts with a conversation. It might be the conversation you’ve just had with your doctor. Or with another person in the practice team. They will refer you to a social prescribing link worker.

The link worker is there to listen to you, and put you in touch with the people and activities that might help you to feel better.

Your link worker might introduce you to a community group, a new activity or a local club. Or they might help you fid legal advice or debt counselling. They might just help you fid information and guidance: a bit of inside knowledge on your situation or what local resources there are. They could even support you to create something new such as a gardening club, a fihing group, a ‘men’s shed’ or knit and knatter group.

Social prescribing can help you to have more control over your own health and fid ways to improve how you feel in a way that suits you

How can Social Prescribing help you?

  • Improve how you feel in a way that suits you
  • Have more control over your own health and well-being
  • Connect you to a local group or activity
  • Provide you with information or guidance about local resources and service

Studies show that people get better and feel better faster than those treated with medicine alone. And because it works, it’s happening more and more – including here in this area.

For more information about social prescribing visit www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/

YOU SAID / WE DID

Over the last few months we have been asking our patients for their feedback. You may have received the questionnaire and provided the team with encouraging information to help us understand the improvements we need to review to ensure the smooth running of our practice.

  • You raised concerns that the telephone system was not providing an efficient service.

We installed a 21st Century telephone system, August 2022. This provides the team with vital data to ensure that our patients are responded too in a timely manner, it offers patients the option to have a call back and also provides a recording of the telephone call. This has significantly reduced patient call waiting times.

  • We appreciated your comments regarding an additional GP on site

We have recruited a further GP to provide additional support and reduce waiting times for appointments.

  • Your feedback raised concerns that extra staff were needed in the reception team

We have recently employed an additional member of the reception team, this will provide further support during our busy call times and we ae currently recruiting for a further 2 members of staff to join our team.

  • Requests have been made for additional, routine pre-bookable appointments.

We have reviewed the pre-bookable appointment system and changes have been implemented. Routine, pre-bookable appointments are released every Monday for the following two weeks. Due to the changes we have made, pre-bookable appointments ae currently in line with the National Standards on appointment waiting times.