Social prescribing
Social prescribing link workers can help you to improve your mental and physical health and wellbeing while you are waiting for an appointment or treatment. They do this by connecting you to activities, groups and services local to you that help you to get practical support, like welfare and benefits advice services, or social activities, that help you to do things you enjoy with others to support your health and wellbeing.
Your GP practice should be able to connect you to a social prescribing service. This might be a social prescribing link worker who works in your GP practice, or someone who works in a local voluntary or charity organisation.
Find more information about social prescribing and how it might support you whilst you wait for an appointment or treatment.
Health coaching
Health coaching is a way to help you take simple steps to improve your health. Some GP practice teams include a health coach, so ask your GP practice if they have one.
Health coaching, sometimes through health and wellbeing coaches, can help you improve your health and feel more in control and prepared for any upcoming treatment. This might be things like making changes to your diet, exercise, or dealing with the day to day issues your health may be causing.
Connecting with others
Some people find it helpful to meet other people who have the same health condition as them.
There are lots of support groups – some of these are run by charities and others are set up by people just like you. Giving and receiving help from others in this way is sometimes called peer support.
If your GP practice has a social prescribing service, a social prescribing link worker can help to connect you to local charities and support groups.
If there are several support groups in your local area, you might want to try out a few before deciding which one suits you best. Many national charities also have a helpline, and some have support groups and online forums too.
