11 February 2020
Social prescribing is the practice where health professionals, including GPs, have the resources and infrastructure to link patients with social services – or even social groups – in a bid to address the social determinants contributing to poor health and stave off the epidemic of loneliness and social isolation. A GP may, for example, suggest a patient join a local running group to enjoy the benefits of exercise and interaction.
CHF has partnered with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), with the NHMRC Partnership Centre for Health System Sustainability as academic partner to host a roundtable on social prescribing in Australia. The report on the roundtable was released on 11 February 2020.
The Australian Government is currently developing long-term plans for both primary healthcare and preventive health. This presents an opportunity to incorporate social prescribing into future health system planning and service delivery strategies.
