janet wheatley

Rotherham Social Prescribing Service

Janet Wheatley: CEO Voluntary Action Rotherham

Rotherham Social Prescribing Service:

Connects people with long term conditions, referred through case management teams, to sources of support in their community

5 VCS Advisors, employed by VAR, linked to 36 GP practices, work with referred people to find a service or activity that meets their needs

19 VCS organisations receive funding to provide a menu of 20 different services and activities

Provides a gateway to a wider pool of VCS services that are not directly funded through social prescribing, predominantly provided by local community centres and groups

2

PRESCRIPTION•Exercise / healthy lifestyles•Self-management programmes•Social and leisure•Arts and crafts•Befriending/mentoring•Confidence building•Learning/training•Money – benefits, debt, fuel poverty•Housing/adaptations•Carers support•Dementia support•Transport/mobility•Advocacy

Why are we doing it?Strengthening individuals, strengthening communities

• NHS Efficiency Challenge - reduces pressure on NHS and social care

• Improves outcomes for patients with long term conditions and their carers

• Recognition that patients need support with non-medical issues - creates a wider range of options for primary care and patient

• Shift of focus to prevention and early intervention - increases independence, resilience of individuals and communities

• Supports integration and personalisation

• Doing things differently – ‘more of the same’ is not an option

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Rotherham Social Prescribing Model

GP

VCSA

VCS provider Service 1



SPS Funded

SPS Funded

Patient attends peer-led group

Patient continues to access service (external funding sustains service)

Patient referred on to sustainable

activities / service

No sustainable outcome for

patient

SPS funded

Provider Service

SP

S R

efer

ral

in

Re

ferr

al

Ou

t

VC

SA

FO

LL

OW

UP

Social Prescribing Patient Journey

SPS funding

Patient continues to access service

(patient self funds)

Towards Independence

Maintaining Independence

Sustainable funding

Activity 2014-15

1392 referrals into SPS (3067)

1554 referrals out to funded VCS (3643)

574 referrals out to non-funded VCS (1052)

651 referrals out to non-VCS (1241)

36 GP practices (all)

Highest – 328 referrals 65% aged 75+ (66%)

61% female (61%)

30% aged 85+ (31%)

13% aged under 60 (12%)

3% BME (3%)

Referrals out – top categories

Advice and Information (Benefits) 387

Community Activities (Social, education, exercise, leisure)

378

Befriending Plus 354

Transport 233

Therapeutic 166

Community Hubs 144

Advocacy and Support 111

Dementia Support 109

Carer Respite 71

Hospital Episodes - 12 month cohort

Inpatient Admissions:

• All patients: 21 per cent reduction

• Patients referred to funded VCS provision: 25 per cent reduction

A&E Attendance:



Outpatients:



Wellbeing Improvements

• 83% of patients made progress in at least one outcome area

Cost/Benefits

For an annual investment of £500,000:

£415,000 potential cost savings in first year post-referral

£870,000 to £1.9M potential full cost savings (dependent on length benefit sustained/drop-off rate)

£660-742,000 – potential social value of well-being gains in year post-referral

£350,000 additional welfare benefits claimed

£280,000 external funding accessed

£180,000 – estimated value of volunteer contribution

Potential wider savings for primary and social care

Outcomes for patients and carers

• Quantitative and qualitative evidence points to a range of improvements for patients and carers:

–improved mental health

–greater independence

-reduced isolation and loneliness

–increased physical activity

–welfare benefits • Social Prescribing represents an important first step to engaging

with community based services and wider statutory provision

• Without Social Prescribing many patients and carers would be unaware of or unable to access these services

Outcomes for the public sector

• Pilot delivered in the context of austerity measures, rises in long term health conditions and the use of unplanned hospital care, and an ageing population

• Social Prescribing was targeted at those most at risk of requiring unplanned hospital care

• Reducing attendances and admissions is an important measure of success

• There are positive signs, with reductions of up to a fifth after 12 months. Translates into cost reductions for commissioners

• Broader outcomes such as satisfaction with care and patient experience,

Outcomes for the VCS

• Opportunity for smaller organisations to access NHS funding/demonstrate impact

• Funding to expand capacity/develop new services – not happened in other areas of UK - £907,000 given out in grants / spot purchases

• Greater ability to attract external funding - £327,000• Additional funding from CCG – mental health, dementia, carers• Showcased contribution of VCS to health and wellbeing priorities• Promoted greater collaboration between VCS• Improved sustainability – groups, community centres, organisations• Catalyst for innovation and social action

GP quote: supportive

and insightful

Patient quote: I feel there is much more to life and I feel happier

Patient quote: it has been fantastic, getting out of the house, meeting nice people, we are back in society, love it!

GP quote: fantastic feedback from

patients and their families

GP quote: reduces our workload and reassures that all

that can be done is donePatient quote: so many

housebound and disabled people have a better quality of life now because of all you

Patient quote: something to look

forward to. Feel I’m doing something to improve myself and

my situation

GP quote: patients who are responsive to voluntary

sector referrals have notably had less need for presentation to us

Volunteer quote: the reward for me is seeing people become brighter, more

talkative, looking forward to having visitors and making a

new circle of friends

GP quote: unequivocally patients benefit. Having spoken to patients

they, like me, welcome and appreciate the service

Patient quote: gets me doing things I never

thought possible

Patient quote: I feel more confident, I’m

taking my medication, physical condition

under control

Further Information

Links to the full evaluation reports

http://www.shu.ac.uk/research/cresr/sites/shu.ac.uk/files/social-economic-impact-rotherham.pdf

http://www.shu.ac.uk/research/cresr/sites/shu.ac.uk/files/social-economic-impact-rotherham-summary.pdf

Further support from VAR

Janet Wheatley: [email protected]/Linda Jarrold : [email protected]

Further support from Age UK Rotherham

Lesley Dabell: [email protected]











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