The National Lottery Community Fund

Social prescribing - where a person is referred to a link worker who then works with them to identify and link them to activities to improve health and wellbeing - can connect communities and healthcare. It is a way to support people’s wellbeing and quality of life while reducing pressure on the NHS. It links patients to community based activities, rather than simply prescribing them medicine. The paper, 'Connecting communities and healthcare-making social prescribing work for everyone', describes what was learned from the grant holders who are piloting or scaling social prescribing, or who provide services as part of existing schemes. The National Lottery Community Found share experiences and offer inspiration for anyone thinking of designing, improving or expanding social prescribing schemes.