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Doctors are replacing the roles that used to be done by priests and barmaids, says the NHS's head of social prescribing

Britons seeking solace are turning to their local doctor instead of their priest - PA
Britons seeking solace are turning to their local doctor instead of their priest - PA

Time was, we used to turn to the local priest - or barmaid - when we wanted to pour out our woes. But these days, those seeking solace are more likely to turn to their local doctor, the former head of Britain’s GPs has warned.

Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard said people were becoming increasingly isolated, amid the breakdown of local communities.

And she said social media was no substitute for true friendships, warning: “You can have 1,000 Facebook friends and be desperately lonely.”

Prof Stokes-Lampard has just been appointed to drive the NHS rollout of “social prescribing” -  with patients prescribed activities like dancing, gardening and book clubs to boost their wellbeing.

In her first interview since taking up post, the former head of the Royal College of GPs said rising numbers were turning to medics for help, when their main problem was feeling lonely.

“Whilst our social media world has mushroomed, the people with whom we have meaningful relationships has shrunk,” she said. “We used to have stronger communities.”

Prof Stokes-Lampard said GPs were under growing pressure because of the numbers of patients seeking help to tackle social problems.

Around a million patients a week now visit their family doctor because of issues such as anxiety, isolation or depression.

“Whilst I’m a GP, people have walked into my consulting room…with problems that were fundamentally social causing an impact on their physical and mental health,” she said.

Helen Stokes-Lampard has taken up a new role in social prescribing - Credit: Grainge Photography/Royal College
Helen Stokes-Lampard has taken up a new role in social prescribing Credit: Grainge Photography/Royal College

Prof Stokes-Lampard has just taken up post leading a new National Academy for Social Prescribing. She said the national drive - which aims to involve 1 million patients a year, by 2024, is an attempt to rebuild connections within society.

“I would argue that a form of social prescribing has always existed. It’s what GPs, priests, hairdressers, bartenders, postmen and women have always done - which is recognising someone is missing something in their life,” she said.

Prof Stokes-Lampard said it would be seeking to recruit those with such skills in order to roll out the policy.

“What we are doing with social prescribing is giving greater emphasis to the social parts of people’s lives and the impact they can have on health and wellbeing – and that’s why the NHS is interested in it.”

“Think about what priests did, when religion played a bigger part in people’s lives … bartenders, a traditional pub where you knew your landlord and built a good relationship,” she said.

“Somebody you can open up to. About people who have time with you, who care about you,” she said.

“Good hairdressers spend time talking with people, and frequently suggest to people ways their lives could be better, helping draw out what matters to people,” she said.

“We know that people who are not lonely or socially isolated live longer than those who are. “There is clear evidence about social isolation. There is clear evidence about the benefits of exercise on your physical and mental health.”

She highlights the town of Frome in Somerset as an area leading the way.

More than 1,400 people have been trained to seek out those who may benefit from social prescribing, and point them to the right help.

In the four years since its rollout, unplanned hospital admissions fell by 14 per cent, at a time when the rest of the country saw them rise by 28 per cent.

Prof Stokes-Lampard said the last decade had seen a great social change, fuelling an increasing “lack of connectedness”.

As well as the revolution in social media, increasingly mobile populations, and the end of a job for life, have fuelled increasing anxiety, she suggested.

The number of prescriptions doled out for antidepressants has doubled in the last decade, with almost 71 million issued last year.  And one in four British adults are being prescribed potentially addictive drugs, such as heavy painkillers, an audit found earlier this year.

Prof Stokes-Lampard said: “Many patients don’t want medication if an alternative approach to improving their mental health is available. In my experience it is a combination of things that’s the best.”

Dr Michael Dixon, a leading GP and chairman of the College of Medicine was one of the first family medics to offer social prescribing.

He said areas that have pioneered the approach have seen GP and A&E visits drop by a fifth – saving the NHS millions.

Dr Dixon said: “There are clear economic benefits of social prescribing, as you see a consistent 20 per cent reduction in GP and hospital visits.

“Most GPs do not have the time to speak to people about their social problems, and many patients are vastly over-medicalised. Social prescribing involves sweating local assets and creating reconnections in the community, so people can live better lives.”

James Sanderson, director of personalised care at NHS England said: “The NHS is recruiting thousands of link workers to help patients to connect with community organisations which help people to live independently  - not only freeing up GPs’ time … but most importantly, helping people stay fit and healthy in ways that go beyond pills and medical procedures."