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Exploring understanding of social prescribing in primary care among healthcare professionals, voluntary-community sector representatives, and patients in England

Social prescribing represents a paradigm shift in healthcare, emphasizing holistic well-being and focusing on consequences stemming from the social determinants of health. It has seen the employment of link workers in England to support patients with their non-medical needs (e.g. loneliness, housing problems, worries about finances). However, understanding and utilization of social prescribing among professionals and patients remain variable, potentially hindering its efficacy. This blog describes an ongoing qualitative analysis of data collected for a larger study on the link worker role in primary care in England. This qualitative analysis will delve into interpretations/understanding of social prescribing from the perspectives of patients, primary care staff and members of the voluntary-community sector. It will aim to shed light on people’s views on the role, remit, and value of social prescribing within the context of English primary care. It is being undertaken by Iva Fattorini for her dissertation as part of a MSc in Global Healthcare Leadership at the University of Oxford.