Rotherham Patients Benefiting From New Way of Accessing Services

25th September 2014

A new pilot project delivered by Rotherham's voluntary and community organisations has led to reductions in the use of key hospital services by 20 per cent.

Researchers at Sheffield Hallam University have found that social prescribing, which helps GPs link patients and carers to sources of support in their local community, has the potential to reduce the demand for health services and could improve the lives of patients with long term health conditions if introduced. The report was commissioned by Voluntary Action Rotherham and NHS Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group and carried out by Sheffield Hallam's Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR). The findings come after earlier research by Nesta, which showed that four out of five doctors thought social prescriptions should be available from their surgeries - for exercise groups, help with healthy eating and groups providing emotional support. Chris Dayson from CRESR said: -The signs from the Rotherham pilot are really positive. "We've been able to identify reductions of around 20 per cent in patients' use of key hospital services in the 12 months following their referral to the pilot. "Alongside this we have seen improvements in patients' well-being, confidence and independence, with fewer people feeling socially isolated and lonely. "In the longer term the outcomes from the pilot could help the public sector realise savings of more than £1million, more than covering the cost of delivering the service. Janet Wheatley, chief executive of Voluntary Action Rotherham, said: -This project provides an innovative way for GPs to link their patients with the excellent activities that voluntary and community sector groups are providing in Rotherham. "It extends the GP's range of tools, provides an alternative to a drug prescription and reduces their workload. Patients feel supported and 'listened to', but are also offered something tangible which has lasting benefits. "The project has been running for two years now and is proving very effective in helping patients to become more independent and less isolated, reducing unplanned hospital admissions and improving patients' experiences of the quality of their care."