PEOPLE in York who go to their doctors with non-medical problems such as loneliness could be referred on for social prescribing.

It’s estimated that around 20 per cent of patients consult their GP over what is really a social issue.

Now some GPs in the city can refer patients on to a dedicated social prescriber.

Jasmine Howard, York’s Ways to Wellbeing Coordinator at the charity York CVS, works with people to determine their needs, and to identify which services, including which voluntary organisations, may be able to help.

Among a number of successes of the programme to date, one person has been referred to a ‘yoga for mental health’ group, a person who complained of loneliness being referred to a befriending service, and another person who is vulnerable to falls had their garden redesigned and built by York Neighbours.

Sarah Armstrong, chief executive of York CVS, said: “The preliminary results from Ways to Wellbeing show that this project works; it improves health and wellbeing. We now want to grow the project, so that it doesn’t matter where you live in York, you will always have the option to be referred into a project that can improve your wellbeing.”

York St John University is evaluating the project, and preliminary results have shown that the majority of those referred have reported an increase in their feelings of wellbeing and a decrease in their feelings of loneliness.

Currently, Ways to Wellbeing is available to people who are registered with the Priory Medical Group at the Park View, Tang Hall, Heworth Green and Fulford surgeries.

A report last year by Citizen’s Advice indicated a fifth of GPs’ time was spent dealing with non-health problems - that’s the equivalent of more than one consultation for everyone in the country.

The Ways to Wellbeing pilot work has been funded by City of York Council and delivered by York CVS.

It is now is hoped that that, with the support of senior doctors, Ways to Wellbeing will receive the required funding to develop further into York.