Two GPs who helped to create a mental health referral team during the height of the first lock-down have shared with the College of Medicine the challenges and successes of its first year in operation. The Andover Primary Care Mental…
Employers encouraged to offer yoga and meditation to help improve mental health in the workforce
Public Health England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is urging employers to introduce a raft of new measures to help improve the mental health of their workers. Yoga and meditation sessions, more flexible working hours and…
Our community’s voice: How the College of Medicine is helping our members
The College of Medicine works to re-define medicine beyond pills and procedures, and our members and wider community are vital to our success. By engaging with our online classes – covering everything from mindfulness to hypnosis and nutrition – our…
The best medicine? “How Laughter Yoga helped me to recover from depression – and now I teach others how to chuckle their way to better health”
Sara Kay laughs out loud all day long for a living. She isn’t a comedian but she does recognise that a hearty belly laugh is brilliant for well-being and particularly mental health. After training to be a Laughter Yoga teacher…
Finding harmony again after the disharmony of Long Covid
Julia Outlaw, an Alexander Technique teacher and College of Medicine member, who lives in Tooting, South London, with her husband and two young daughters, first fell ill with Covid in February last year. In her early forties, with a healthy…
Listen, support, connect: How we marked International Social Prescribing Day 2021
A vital event in the College of Medicine’s annual calendar, Social Prescribing Day, which took place this year on March 18th, aims to celebrate the social prescribing movement by highlighting stories of progress, the importance of community and, this year,…
“We’re empowering people to make a difference in their own lives – that’s priceless” London health professionals discuss social prescribing
Healthy London Partnership, an initiative that aims to make the English capital the world’s healthiest city, has created a new film that highlights how valuable social prescribing can be in building and supporting community resilience – by linking people to…
‘Link workers are bringers of hope’: Social prescribing features on BBC One’s Countryfile
Social Prescribing featured on BBC One’s Countryfile this weekend, with presenter Anita Rani meeting Dr Marie Polley to discuss finding solutions to problems without medical intervention. Anita joined Dr Polley, who is co-Chair of the Social Prescribing Network, to discuss…
Lockdown depression: ‘A GP who has time to engage properly with a patient can reduce the need for a referral’
The rise in the number of people being referred for depression – particularly during lockdown – could be directly linked to a reduced number of GPs, the College of Medicine’s Chair has said. Depression rates continue to rise in the…
