‘Social Prescribing’, as described by the NHS, links people with health problems into practical and emotional support in communities and the voluntary sector. Participants meet with a professional to identify which ongoing practical, emotional and community support can best help them achieve their goals.
This was borne out of our collective determination to seize the opportunity of the Five Year Forward View (5YFV) and our concern the full potential of the voluntary and community sector to contribute to health and care system transformation has yet to be fully understood and tapped.
The Richmond Group of Charities want the NHS, and the research and care organisations that support it, to be able to use health and social care data to understand people’s conditions, experiences and needs. This insight can, and should, be used to make sure that people receive the best possible care and support.
But we also believe that this should only be done with the highest standards of governance and safeguards and in a way that respects an individual’s decisions about whether and how they want their data shared.
Today we launch our new report Living Longer, Living Well: How we can achieve the WHO’s 25 by 25 goals in the UK. The report examines the future trends for public health in the UK and calls for strong action to be taken on prevention.