Since its launch in 2021 more than 1,200 clients have been referred to non-medical support such as community groups and activities to help their health and wellbeing.
Last year alone there were 301 referrals and at one point the waiting list was about 30 weeks, said Bailiwick Social Prescribing line work manager Trish de Carteret, pictured.
As of the start of this month there were about 40 people on the waiting list, she said, which had been reduced to 16 weeks after new staff were taken on.
But rather than leaving clients with nothing to do, an interim solution has been created.
‘We call it “Waiting Well”,’ she said.
‘We speak to every client as soon as they’re referred, and what we say to them is “What is it that you want to get from us, and how can we help you?” And while they’re waiting for a link worker to work with them one-to-one, we can tell them about things that might help them.’
As well as people going to groups organised by third parties, HIC offers three of its own – tai chi, two art groups and a singing group – but its main role is as a link service to charities and organisations that it knows are good places to send people.
And the signs are that the service has been successful, said Mrs de Carteret.
‘When we did part of our evaluation about the impact it had on people returning to the GP, we were a little bit blown away.’
She said it showed a significant decrease in the number of people going to their GP regularly after social prescribing.
‘While we admit that that might not all be down to us, we’d like to think that we played a part in that,’ she said.
‘And the feedback that we have had from primary care was really positive.’
Bailiwick Social Prescribing also launched a follow-up system this year, going back to a client six months after their time with the service to see if they were still involved with whatever activity they had taken up and if they had experienced any problems.
And up to three months after they end their time with BSP they are offered a way back in.
‘The whole idea is just to sustain what they’ve worked on with us, so that they’ve got that support going forward, and so far the feedback’s been quite good.’