The Hidden Benefits of Social Prescribing – Through the Lens of Specialist Link Worker Fay Howell
Recent findings from the National Academy for Social Prescribing highlight the transformative impact of social prescribing on health service use and costs. Their latest report, featuring Ways to Wellness as a case study, underscores social prescribing’s success in reducing GP appointments and hospital admissions for patients with long-term conditions.
Fay Howell’s work as a specialist social prescribing link worker exemplifies how such roles enhance patient wellbeing, build resilience, and create cost-effective healthcare solutions. Fay’s story sheds light on the often-overlooked human and systemic benefits of social prescribing.
Building Bridges, One Laugh at a Time
Fay’s work begins with trust, and her approach is disarmingly simple: listen without a script, give space for patients to feel heard, and—most importantly—find moments of shared humour. Fay recalls, “Often the patient and I will have had a laugh before they leave, and people often say, ‘this wasn’t what I was expecting.’” It’s this authentic connection that keeps patients coming back, ready to set and achieve their own goals.
Her belief that “there is something to like in everyone” embeds her sessions with a personal and supportive atmosphere. It’s not uncommon for her to send encouraging emojis to clients or set up mindful breathing reminders, small interventions that ripple into significant impacts.
Fay is a specialist link worker, with experience in social prescribing for Long Term Conditions (LTC) and Persistent Physical Symptoms (PPS). She shared some of her insights, noting that many of her clients live with low self-esteem, frustration and a lack of self-confidence. “I have worked as a social prescriber for 7 years and during that time I have learned that all patients have a unique and personal definition of success.”
Link Worker as Educator
Fay’s role often extends to sharing her extensive knowledge and experience of local wellbeing and community support services with healthcare staff. The medical practice team often come to her seeking advice to enable more holistic care for patients. Sometimes, patients reveal medically-based issues to Fay that she can pass on to the clinical team, especially as they often have more time to build relationships with patients. “I think the greater length of sessions with link workers compared to with GPs, allows for patients to really open up.” An important two-way communication channel that significantly benefitting patients.
It isn’t just the informal or professional patient-specific information sharing that benefits GP practices and client care, there are also regular opportunities for link workers like Fay to contribute to training sessions. These regular “time out” sessions enable Fay and her colleagues to share insights about their social prescribing work.
Fay says, “I welcome these opportunities to explain things and share information, they break down misconceptions and open doors for collaboration.” For example in one “speed dating” style session, Fay had a chance to directly engage with the administrative staff and explain to them that they could refer patients directly to link workers.
Networking for Change
Networking isn’t just about connections—it’s about resilience in the face of change. Fay emphasises how the pandemic and cost of living crisis have reshaped local services, with many services and organisations scaling back or closing. Yet, Ways to Wellness link workers like Fay have stepped up, actively seeking out new partnerships and resources, including a recent link worker service awareness raising visit to speak at Fibromyalgia Newcastle.
Ways to Wellness also encourages link workers to come together for regular “Lunch and Learn” sessions, this proactive, knowledge sharing approach ensures patients have access to a broad and ever-evolving range of support. 'I really look forward to the ‘Lunch and Learns’ where we get another service or professional to meet with Ways to Wellness link workers and share what their service offers, and have the opportunity to do the same - recent examples were an eating disorder worker, complex mental health therapist, and a diabetes GP.” It also provides essential peer support for the extensive team of link workers from across a broad range of projects. This is an innovative approach Fay refers to a “helping people to help people,” reflecting an open, collaborative culture where link workers willingly share resources and expertise, Fay continues “it’s not about competition, but about lifting the whole community.”
The report from the National Academy for Social Prescribing highlights how organisations like Ways to Wellness deliver meaningful outcomes for both individuals and healthcare systems. Fay’s role as a link worker, grounded in compassion, humour, and deep local knowledge, exemplifies this impact. By addressing the root causes of health challenges and bridging the gaps between clinical care and community resources, link workers not only improve lives but also alleviate pressures on the NHS. Fay’s story is a testament to the power of social prescribing, an approach that is helping to build a healthier, more connected future.
Our Ways to Wellness UK social prescribing service for people living with long-term conditions has led to a 27% reduction in hospital costs per patient.
Evidence shows that clients experienced improvements to their wellbeing and the cumulative costs avoided in secondary care have been £4.6 million over 5 years.
Our thanks to National Academy for Social Prescribing for highlighting the impacts and achievements of this innovative work, and for recognising our pioneering funding model in a special case study.
Read the full National Academy for Social Prescribing report here.
Read the Ways to Wellness case study here.
(Image credit to NASP social media November 2024)