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Newham North West 2 Primary Care Network
Newham Vicarage Practice | East End Medical Centre
Stratford Health Centre | The Forest Practice
Upton Lane Medical Centre
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Social Prescribing Service
Click here to visit our website
Many things affect your health and wellbeing. A lot of people visit their GP because they are feeling lonely, isolated or stressed about a personal or family issue, work, money or housing problems. Sometimes it’s the stress of managing long term health conditions. These are social, practical and emotional matters that can’t be helped by doctors or medicine alone.
As part of a nationwide NHS plan to give more personalised holistic care to patients, we are now able to offer a new extension to our service called Social Prescribing.
Our team of Social Prescribers can help you with your non-medical needs, enable you to have more control over your health and find ways to improve how you feel in a way that suits you.
The issues they can help you with include:
- Health and wellbeing
- Mental health – low self-esteem/confidence, anxiety, depression, stress
- Loneliness and isolation
- Bereavement
- Employment, employability support, volunteering
- Alcohol or substance misuse
- Benefits, finance and housing
- Gambling
- Covid-19 related support
This service is about what matters to you and it all starts with a conversation which will be less time restricted than a GP appointment. Whether you have a short term problem or a longer term issue that you’d like to resolve, our Social Prescribers are here to listen, support you with your needs, help to motivate you and put you in touch with whatever you may need to feel better.
This could be:
- Dependent on your needs agreeing what support package is right for you, one conversation or a number of appointments over a fixed period of time
- Providing information and guidance on services that can help you
- Referring you to those services if you don’t feel able to do so without support
- Introducing you to community groups, activities or options for volunteering
- Assisting you to set goals that will empower you to make lifestyle changes and achieve the outcome you’re looking for
Click here to download our leaflet (PDF, 557KB)
Download The Well Being Pack Here (PDF, 1.71MB)
How can you access the Social Prescribing Service?
You must be over the age of 18.
Your GP may refer you to have a consultation with one of our Social Prescribers if they feel you’d benefit from the support they are able to offer.
Or you can self-refer by calling the surgery or booking an appointment online in the same way you usually would to see your GP or Nurse.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions we are currently offering all appointments as telephone or video calls, In future we may be able to offer face to face appointments in the practice if required.
Stop Smoking Campaign
It might not feel like a good time to quit smoking – but it is. Last year, during lockdown, one million people quit. New research confirms that now those ex-smokers will now be feeling happier and more positive than if they were still smoking.
We don’t often talk about the benefits of quitting to mental health, but just as it improves your physical health, stopping smoking also improves your sense of wellbeing. Withdrawal can be tough, but with help, smokers can come out the other side feeling happier, healthier and wealthier too.
Click here for Stop Smoking Support