City of York Council has teamed up with local GPs and voluntary and community groups to provide a wide range of non-medical help and support to residents.

The new initiative allows GPs to ‘prescribe’ activities such as befriending, confidence building, healthy lifestyle building or budgeting advice for the first time.

Known as ‘social prescribing’, the new scheme has been made possible thanks to £60,000 funding from the council, and will offer ways to help patients’ overall health and wellbeing.

Councillor Carol Runciman, Executive member for Adult Social Care and Health, City of York Council, said: “As a society we’re now realising that we can’t cure every problem with medication and many problems, such as depression, anxiety and weight-related problems can be treated very effectively through social prescribing. Helping people to prevent health problems from occurring or from getting worse is a key element of our long term care and support strategy. I hope this new initiative will help patients across the city.”

A new Social Prescribing Co-ordinator will be appointed shortly to co-ordinate the initiative.

Lesley Godfrey, a GP with Priory Medical Group and clinical lead of the York Integrated Care Team, said: “We’re looking forward to working with the community and voluntary sector to create and implement a social prescribing scheme. It is anticipated that this will enable the residents of City of York improved access to the support and advice that is currently already available locally, by encouraging referrals from health professionals”.

Melanie McQueen, Deputy CEO at York CVS, said: “We’re excited to work with partners to pilot this innovative approach. Social prescribing is gaining pace nationally as a holistic way to support individuals presenting to their GP with a range of needs. It offers access to non-medical support that can impact positively on individuals’ wellbeing.”