Support at your GP Practice
We offer 1 to 1 support at GP surgeries through Social Prescribing, which can help if you are feeling isolated, or need support to access better housing, grants, benefits, manage your health conditions, or connect you to further support in the community.
Our Link Workers will take time to listen to you carefully, and offer advice, or connect you to activities, groups and services to help meet your needs.
You may be referred by a clinician at your practice, but you can also contact us yourself if we work in your GP surgery as a self-referral.
Wellbeing is more than physical health
Social Prescribing aims to look at what matters to you in your life, and what areas need time and attention to make you happier.
Our Link Workers will meet with you regularly to listen and offer guidance in a safe and confidential 1 to 1 setting, and connect you to a range of support.
Frequently asked questions
Social Prescribing is a personalised care approach that offers practical and emotional support, connecting you to activities, groups, and services in the community to meet your practical, social and emotional needs affecting your health and wellbeing.
Social prescribing can help with any non-clinical needs that are affecting someone’s health and wellbeing. Examples can include:
- One or more long term health conditions such as diabetes, chronic pain, or arthritis
- Loneliness and isolation
- Housing support
- Money and debt
- Physical activity and weight loss
- Mental health and wellbeing
The Social Prescribing Link Worker for your GP surgery will get in touch to arrange an initial appointment with you. This usually takes around 40 minutes and is about identifying what challenges you are facing and what you would like support with. This can be over the phone or in person at your GP surgery.
Your Link Worker will use the information from this initial meeting to produce a personalised care and support plan.
Some examples of support may include:
- Connecting someone to a befriending group, or group activity such as an art class or community gardening project
- Supporting someone with dementia to join a dementia choir or dementia café
- Working with someone with high blood pressure to join an exercise class
- Helping someone struggling with financial stress to apply for the benefits they are entitled to
Social prescribing is a 12 week service. Once you have had an initial meeting with your Link Worker and a personalised care and support plan has been created for you, your Link Worker will schedule some additional appointments to catch up on your progress and make amendments to the plan if needed.
At the end of the 12 weeks, your Link Worker will review your plan and obtain feedback about the support you received.
We cover over 100 GP surgeries across Kent and Medway including:
- All Maidstone surgeries
- All Weald surgeries, including Headcorn
- All Tonbridge and Malling surgeries
- Most Dover and Folkestone surgeries
- All Sittingbourne surgeries
- Some Gravesend surgeries
- Some Dartford surgeries
- Medway surgeries in Hoo and surrounding areas
- Romney Marsh surgeries
Ask a clinician at your GP surgery for a referral, or contact us to self-refer.
Get in touch
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