Addressing the range of factors affecting health: Social prescribing’s role in supporting people’s well-being

It was a pleasure to present to colleagues at the Departmental Open Meeting in June about the research we have been doing on social prescribing. Social prescribing takes a holistic view of health and well-being, recognising that how we feel physically and psychologically can be shaped by where we live, work, our financial position, social networks and ability for self-expression. It involves connecting people to relevant organisations or services, including those that: a) offer advice on things like housing or money, b) deliver physical activity opportunities, c) run cultural or heritage groups or events, or d) provide open spaces (including parks and rivers) where individuals can be with nature. Doing this research has prompted me to consider what I need to feel well – this includes making time to be with friends and family, and regular physical activity through attending local dance classes. Sometimes I can combine the two by having a kitchen disco with my niece and nephew!

I have been lucky to meet many interesting people in the seven years I have worked in this field of social prescribing. They are dedicated to making a difference to others’ lives through non-medical interventions. This includes link workers who are funded to deliver social prescribing, and voluntary-community groups or providers offering venues or activities that people can access as part of a social prescription. During this time, I have enjoyed visiting museums and theatres holding events with and for older people. I have also talked to individuals running a range of dance and music groups – for children, parents, or people with dementia. Furthermore, I have had the opportunity to take part in provision run in Oxford – including at the Ashmolean Museum and Harcourt Arboretum.

We have heard from some of these providers at our Oxford Social Prescribing Research Network (OXSOP) meetings. This group is open to anyone interested in social prescribing. It includes researchers from across the UK and some international colleagues. It also has, as members, link workers, voluntary-community sector and local authority representatives, and healthcare professionals. There are around 250 people on the mailing list. We hold five online meetings each year. At the meetings, we have three short presentations after which those attending can go into a breakout room with one of the speakers to talk about their topic in more detail. Presentations at recent meetings have covered:

• Green social prescribing (in nature)
• Social prescribing and medication reviews
• Self-guided visits in cultural venues
• Development of an app to connect parents with local services and activities
• Social prescribing for people living with chronic pain
• Skills, knowledge and competencies of cultural sector staff working in well-being programmes

I plan to present, at a future OXSOP meeting, on a study we are involved with that is comparing social prescribing across different European countries. This highlights the growing interest there is in this approach to addressing non-medical issues that can affect people’s health and well-being. The qualitative part of this work, which I will be leading, starts in January 2026. Being part of this study is a great opportunity to learn about different healthcare systems and approaches being taken to deliver social prescribing in these various settings.

If you are interested in joining the mailing list for OXSOP, please send me an email (stephanie.tierney@phc.ox.ac.uk) and I can add you to it. If you want to learn more about social prescribing, here are some useful starting points:

• https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/
• https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/
• https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/long-reads/social-prescribing#:~:text=Social%20prescribing%20is%20designed%20to,mental%20health%20and%20physical%20wellbeing.