Today is the day to celebrate our Social Prescribing Link Workers in Wirral!
Citizens Advice Wirral is proud to be working with Wirral’s primary and secondary care services to ensure patients have access to Social Prescribing Link Workers.
Social Prescribing Link Workers are non-medical professionals who provide a holistic approach to improving people’s health and well-being.
Citizen’s Advice Wirral want to share a short reflection on the last 12 months.
“We have found service to be of high quality, serving our patients to the highest standards. We have found your service very accessible, user friendly, efficient, saving our time and staff resources and very positive feedback from patients. Thank you so much for your invaluable support and excellent team work.” – GP surgery Arno Primary Care Network (PCN)
In the last 12 months, the team of staff and volunteers have contacted 6611 patients and offered wellbeing support, have listened to what matters to people, offered compassion and empathy, and despite the pandemic, have addressed a huge number of practical issues. They have worked in innovative ways to ensure people access the care and support they need.
They have ensured people have access to food, fuel and prescriptions, secured specialist grants to enable people to maintain independence in their own home, worked to tackle digital exclusion, have and continue to work with a huge range of local partners to support people to maintain positive mental health, enabled people to access the benefits they are entitled to and better manage their debts with support from the Ask Us Wirral service, have listened and demonstrated that they care.
“I couldn’t have sorted the problems out without you so from the bottom of my heart thank you so very much” – patient quote
“From the bottom of my heart, you have both helped me mentally. I’m cooking better, I’m sleeping better, I’m happier. You’re helping me a lot. I’m so grateful. It really helps to know that there is someone on my side helping me to fight my corner.” – patient quote
“You have helped me more than any tablet ever has.” – patient quote
Citizens Advice Wirral are also proud to have supported the vaccination efforts in Moreton and Meols PCN, Healthier West Wirral PCN and Wellbeing Wallasey PCN and look forward to continuing their work to engage people in the vaccination efforts.
This year they were unable to support proactive patient care. They ran a highly successful campaign with Upton Group practice, positively engaging women and increasing the take up of smear tests amongst women over the age of 40. They are now working closely with surgeries across all their PCN areas to engage new mums, in partnership with Koala Northwest. They are also working alongside CWP to create a team of Link Workers, sitting alongside the access time to ensure patients have time to explore wider socio-economic issues that might be impacting upon their mental health and wellbeing.
This work demonstrates the impact of the Social Prescribing Link Worker as a key role within both primary and secondary care services – improving access to patient care in both proactive and reactive ways.
If you are a clinician or health and social care staff working in Healthier West Wirral, Moreton and Meols, Arno, North Coast Allance or Wellbeing Wallasey PCN and would like to know more about your Social Prescribing Link Workers or if you are unusre how to refer please contact Anna Barnish at [email protected]
