I became aware of the Social Prescribing initiative after I ran a free mindfulness meditation session in Grangewood Park, and after I was asked if I would run a few sessions for the initiative run by Parchmore Medical Centre, Thornton Heath. Â
Social Prescribing is a ground breaking initiative where health professionals refer service users, where appropriate, to local holistic support run by qualified and highly experienced trainers in their field, in order to help the user with their well-being! The support looks at alternative well-being activities other than traditional medication such as dancing, yoga, cycling, walking and Mindfulness sessions being funded. Presently there are almost 100 different sessions being run through Parchmore Medical Centre.
To find out more about Social Prescribing this short youtube clip explains the initiative really well.
I like so many others have been working in my field of expertise, for me it is Mindfulness Meditation, for many years, and there is now a much needed shift in placing more of a focus on specialist community engagement to heal some of the issues we face around mental health, isolation as well as physical health, which may be achieved through non-medication.
Using the holistic approach to health, requires courage, patience, awareness, curiosity and a belief that things can indeed change. This shift is needed by patients and the NHS.
In the GP practices where this initiative has been put in place Doctors have seen a drop in patient numbers which has not only helped with their own stress, and slow burnout, but healthier patients with a different perspective on their health and less financial input from the NHS.
Interview with Dulwich Medical Centre
I run two community classes, under this social prescribing umbrella via the Parchmore Medical Centre who have pioneered amazing things in their community.
Mondays at 12.30pm , St Stephen, Warwick Road, Thornton Heath – and Mondays at 9pm. St Paul’s – St Pauls’s Road Thornton Heath – which are both NHS England Funded