Social prescribing could help young people suffering with mental health problems, new research says. Children’s charity Barnardo’s says referrals for non-clinical treatments could help to ease current pressure on child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) and help young patients…
Social prescribing comes in many forms, as a pilot scheme offering games of golf to help boost health and wellbeing has proved. The Golf for Health pilot took place recently in Fife, Scotland and saw patients with varying health conditions…
Reading GP Dr William Bird, the College of Medicine’s Nature Lead and a pioneer of Green Social Prescribing, talks to Sarah Stacey about the healing power of nature for every age group… Think of the shapes, colours and sounds of…
This week, Professor Chris Drinkwater, Executive Lead for Arts and Creativity at the North East & North Cumbria Child Health and Wellbeing Network, wrote a blog for theatre company Damn Cheek on the benefits of drama for helping children to cope…
The UK minister for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, has said the Government is committed to Social Prescribing, following last week’s Social Prescribing Day, saying funding of £3.6million will be poured into it over the next two years. Writing…
An article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) this month debates how recent research on the treatment of chronic pain suggests social prescribing – including exercise and psychological and social support – could have a positive impact for patients living…
Support groups for people suffering from chronic pain, dubbed ‘Pain Cafes‘, have opened across Cornwall in a bid to help people manage their pain without relying solely on prescription painkillers. The Pain Cafes, led by Chronic Pain in Cornwall (CPIC),…
GP surgeries in the UK should evolve to be more like ‘mini hospitals’ to help the whole NHS system run more effectively, The College of Medicine’s Vice President, Professor Sir Sam Everington, has said. Speaking to the Sunday Express, Sir…
If ever the phrase ‘It’s not the winning, it’s the taking part that counts’ was applicable, then it’s in the growing arena of football teams for mental health. In the last decade, new clubs dedicated to helping those who love…
Sarah Stacey meets Gay Palmer, a Social Prescriber Link Worker Team Lead in South Southwark, who explains how her work successfully went online during the pandemic – and how the power of community can help transform individual lives… Until autumn…
As we welcome a new year, our Chair, Dr Michael Dixon, looks back at what The College of Medicine has achieved in the last 12 months, and what the year ahead looks like for our organisation… ‘2022 was a mix…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
