As part of Greater Manchester’s commitment to developing social prescribing across the region, health tech innovation company, Elemental, has been selected as its main digital social prescribing provider.
Greater Manchester comprises 10 areas (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Heywood Middleton and Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Glossop, Trafford, and Wigan), with a population of 2.8 million people.
And across the region the NHS and councils are working with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to build a system that takes into account the wider influences on health and wellbeing – work, housing, education, transport, and relationships with friends, family and the community.
Elemental’s Social Prescribing Platform will be available to all NHS bodies and councils in these areas, making it easier for busy health and care professionals to support people holistically by connecting them into community groups and activities.
Giles Wilmore, lead for people and communities at the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “We know social prescribing has already made a difference to so many people, whether it’s tackling loneliness and isolation, managing depression and anxiety, or getting back to work - we’ve heard amazing stories from right across the region.
“Now we need to go further, and faster, so that as many people as possible can benefit from this approach.
“We want social prescribing to become as commonplace, and just as easy, as booking a blood test or a hospital outpatient appointment.
“Making Elemental’s social prescribing software available to all NHS bodies and councils will allow health and care professionals to connect people with community groups and activities quickly and easily at the click of a button.”
