Emma speaks to Christiana Melam, the chief executive of the National Association of Link Workers, who explains how social prescribing can help practices and GPs to meet demand and better support their patients.
Christiana explains why it is so important that the NHS looks at changing the way that it works, given that the current model is not meeting the needs of patients, highlighting the key role that social prescribing can play in prevention and addressing health inequalities.
The National Association of Link Workers also trains care navigators and Christiana also talks about what the recent access recovery plan had to say about care navigation and what this means for practices and their reception teams.
This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.
Useful links
- National Association of Link Workers - Education standards
- National Academy for Social Prescribing - evidence to support the use of social prescribing
- National Association of Link Workers report - Exploring social prescribing referrals & impact on Information, advice and guidance Services
- National Association of Link Workers report - The role of PPGs in social prescribing
- GP mythbuster 106: Primary care first contact practitioners (FCPs) - Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk)
- Tailored Primary Care Workforce Development and Wellbeing Packages from NALW
