Social Prescribing

Social prescribing helps people access the right support for the challenges that affect their health and wellbeing - from housing, benefits, and relationships to mental health, loneliness, and more. It plays a vital role in tackling health inequalities, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can access the support they need to thrive.

Community Linking Project

Our Community Linking service was our original social prescribing project in primary care. Our link workers take time to listen, offer practical and emotional support, and connect people with local services and resources. They walk “shoulder to shoulder” with individuals for as long as it takes to address the issues that matter most.

Since then, our social prescribing/community linking offer has expanded and we now provide support in secondary care settings, including palliative care and maternity services.

Alongside one-to-one support, we run groups and activities that promote health, wellbeing, and connection - responding proactively to the needs of local people wherever they arise.

Since then, our social prescribing/community linking offer has expanded and we now provide support in secondary care settings, including palliative care and maternity services.

Alongside one-to-one support, we run groups and activities that promote health, wellbeing, and connection - responding proactively to the needs of local people wherever they arise.

Children, Young People and Families

Our Children, Young People, and Families team works within primary care in East Gateshead to provide trauma-informed support tailored to the needs of families.

We are also running a pilot project in schools in partnership with Gateshead Council, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust and local schools, exploring how social prescribing can help children, young people and their families access the right support at the right time.

Feedback from local GP:

[A patient] presented with severe bilateral hip pain had x-rays showing severe arthritis requiring 2 urgent hip replacements. She has 2 young children and is a single mum having split from her ex-partner after domestic violence. She has some support from her aunt and grandmother, both of whom are in poor health and are unable to help with childcare. By this time [time of referral], she was on constant painkillers and struggling to walk at all, making even basic childcare very difficult so the surgery was essential. We were left with the option of trying to refer to social services for emergency foster care which would have been extremely disruptive and distressing (especially given the children's previous experiences of witnessing DV and her son having some behaviour issues and anxiety) when we referred to health equity team, initially I had hoped they might be able to help with some after school activities or child care on ad hoc basis and support for [her] with other household tasks but they supported her to such an extent (helping with food/taking children to and from school every day) that [she] was able to have both hips replaced in a short timeframe and is now able to carry on a much more normal life. Their support was completely invaluable to enable her to access the urgent surgery and healthcare and recovery time that she needed. This is such a good example of how social circumstance impacts so heavily on health and health outcomes and I feel very lucky to practice in an area where we have their support.

Active Travel

We also partner with Public Health on Gateshead Active Travel and Social Prescribing Project, which encourages people to walk, cycle, or wheel for short journeys across Gateshead, helping to improve health and wellbeing while connecting communities.

"Medicines are not the whole answer to patients’ problems, there’s a lot of social deprivation in the area that the Community Linking project can address.”

(Dr Fozia Shah)

“Finding employment is hard. They use all those big words I can't understand but [the community link worker] was there, she answered the questions I couldn’t answer.”

(Ian Lowery, Gateshead patient)

Contact our Head of Social Prescribing on

07494 498881

What our patients say:

Taking part in meaningful activities has changed my life and put me in a more positive frame of mind. I knows it’s early days but I’m happy with how I feel most days.”

I feel more motivated and am building confidence to join groups.”

I was overwhelmed by it all but now I’m so very happy, feel like I am starting my life again at age 76. I am even looking for love.”

I feel better now I’m addressing my issues, rather than avoiding them which was impacting my mental health. I am able to concentrate better at work as a result.”

I am relieved and not so worried. I was really happy with the quick response from the Community Link Worker and ease of communication.”

Thank you for liaising with housing on my behalf. I am now very settled in my bungalow.”

Social Prescribing

Community Linking Project

Since then, our social prescribing/community linking offer has expanded and we now provide support in secondary care settings, including palliative care and maternity services.

Alongside one-to-one support, we run groups and activities that promote health, wellbeing, and connection - responding proactively to the needs of local people wherever they arise.

Children, Young People and Families

Feedback from local GP:

Active Travel

"Medicines are not the whole answer to patients’ problems, there’s a lot of social deprivation in the area that the Community Linking project can address.”

(Dr Fozia Shah)

Contact our Head of Social Prescribing on

07494 498881