Health Secretary visits Burntwood group improving community health and well-being

The Secretary of State for Health, Wes Streeting, visited Burntwood Be A Friend to find out how they are helping people improve their health and wellbeing through social prescribing.

The community organisation take referrals from Social Prescribers based at GP surgeries to address patients' social, emotion and practical needs that affect their health and well-being. They run a community gardening club, as well as counselling service and wellbeing activities to address poor mental health.

During the visit the Health Secretary met Steve who was referred to the community gardening club by a social prescriber a number of years ago following the death of his wife and having suffered a stroke.

Social Prescribing is a way of enabling GPs and other healthcare professionals to connect patients to community activities, networks and non–clinical services that can help to meet their social, emotional or practical needs; with the help of a Link Worker. Support Staffordshire works with GP surgeries across the county to provide a social prescribing service to patients.

Dave Robertson, MP for Lichfield, Burntwood and the villages, said: “Burntwood Be A Friend are a lifeline for so many people here. They are helping people take greater control of their health and wellbeing, helping them to improve their mental and physical health, gain employment and lead happier and healthier lives.”

Wes Streeting, Health and Social Care Secretary, said: “It's been genuinely inspiring to hear what they're doing here. Everything from the community garden project, to the community shop I’ve been hearing about and the mental health walks, these are all really brilliant ways of bringing the community together and giving people a good time.

“From my perspective as the Health and Social Care Secretary, [these things are] helping to keep people well, helping to keep people active and helping to keep people less likely to need A&E, or less likely to need antidepressants or mental health services.

“It’s been genuinely community spirited action. It shows what we can do when we partner our NHS with amazing community groups. This is what we want to see more of as we work to get our NHS back up to speed, make it fit for the future, there for all of us when we need it. But crucially, doing all the work like this in the community to make sure all of us are less likely to need it and more likely to stay fit, active, healthy and happy.”

Daniella Parker, Manager of Burntwood Be a Friend, said: “Working with our local social prescribing team, we are proud of the positive impact we are making in people’s lives.”Health Secretary visits social prescribing group improving community health and well-being