Impact case study database

Informing changes in national health policy

The leading contribution to the establishment of the Social Prescribing Network enabled IHHD to reach a national audience of stakeholders, to drive the progression of social prescribing at 12 research and policy conferences. They reached a large audience of 80-400 participants for each event including commissioners from the NHS and local authorities, practitioners from the third sector, healthcare professionals such as GPs, nurses and service users ( S1).

The economic evidence review of social prescribing ( R5), which was used as rationale for extending social prescribing nationally, has been cited in the 2018 Department for Media Culture and Sports Loneliness Strategy, and the 2019 NHS Universalised Personalised Care Plan among others ( S2, S3).

As part of the steering group for the Social Prescribing Network, Bertotti and Frostick played a decisive role in the development of the groups research activities, which were cited 11 times in the 2017 All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing. One of the Inquiry Report recommendations was:

“The Social Prescribing Network should support clinical commissioning groups, NHS provider trusts and local authorities to incorporate arts on prescription into their commissioning plans and to redesign care pathways where appropriate” (p. 155). ( S4)

Bev Taylor (previous National Social Prescribing Lead for NHS England and current Operations Director of the National Academy for Social Prescribing) commented:

“The University of East London has helped made a significant contribution to building the social prescribing movement across England and to develop learning for social prescribing link workers through the following:

1. Evaluation of local social prescribing schemes such as the evaluation of social prescribing in City and Hackney (London) which provided one of the first large and robust evaluations of social prescribing in the field. The learning from this was shared with regional social prescribing networks across England;

2. Working collaboratively with Bromley By Bow Centre and Connexus to pilot and develop accredited learning for social prescribing link workers;

3. Contributing generally to the creation of regional social prescribing networks, where commissioners and practitioners can learn from each other.

This work has been appreciated by partners and is an important part of the jigsaw, which has helped to create the conditions for the NHS to make significant long-term investment in social prescribing through the NHS Long Term Plan”. ( S5, S6)

Informing changes in regional health policy

Bertotti and Frostick had a significant influence on the development of social prescribing in London. Bertotti was involved in the drafting of the social prescribing vision for London 2018-2028 ( S7). The evaluation of social prescribing in City and Hackney was used throughout the 2017 Healthy London Partnership (representing all the NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups in London) document looking at steps towards implementing self-care ( S8) to consider the business case for social prescribing.

Our evaluations of social prescribing in East London - Hackney and City, Waltham Forest, and Newham - have raised the profile of social prescribing in those areas and produced evidence, which influenced re-commissioning. For example, UEL features in the City and Hackney social prescribing collaboration that won the Social Prescribing National Award in 2019 ( S9). Moreover, findings from IHHD’s evaluation of social prescribing in Waltham Forest were included in a Mayor of London funded document to inform the development of the social prescribing strategy for London ( S10).

Impact on the capacity building of social prescribing

The evaluations of social prescribing and other research work were used to inform the co-design and co-delivery of the only accredited Level 3 qualification in social prescribing, training link workers on how to best support social prescribing service users. Five cohorts of link workers have been trained and the course received very positive feedback. ( S6, S9)