A range of health and wellbeing professionals are being added to general practice teams as part of a programme to expand the NHS workforce: some work at doctor’s surgeries and others work in the wider community to help people get the most appropriate care when they need it.
One of the newer roles in the GP team is the social prescribing link worker (SPLW), sometimes referred to as a social prescriber. They are available to everyone and can help people find solutions to things that are difficult by addressing their needs flexibly, connecting them with essential non-medical services and signposting them to support or activity groups.
This modern approach is part of the plan NHS England is implementing to prioritise people’s health and wellbeing while improving access to primary care services. NHSE recently launched a new public campaign to explain the changes taking place that will improve the way people access and receive care from general practice.
The first phase of the campaign explains some of the roles of different health and care staff in general practice teams.
Go to the NHS England web page for social prescribers or search NHS social prescribers on the internet to learn more. To find out more about other GP team roles, search meet your GP team on the internet. You can also learn more about social prescribers on the MindWell’s website.
