Social prescribing, also known as community referral, is designed to address health issues influenced by non-medical factors such as poor housing, financial pressures, and social exclusion. It is a means of enabling healthcare professionals to refer patients to a range of local, non-clinical services and has been increasingly recognised as a potential tool to address health inequalities in England.
The impact of social prescribing as a means to address health inequalities
Social prescribing was introduced in mainstream policy in England in 2019. Since its inception, the National Academy for Social Prescribing found that this non-medical intervention led to enhancements in various outcomes, including social connectedness, overall well-being, and reduced loneliness.
Despite the early indications of social prescribing’s positive impact, there is a notable gap in understanding social prescribing’s impact on health inequalities, particularly for people from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds.
The review of existing evidence and literature suggests that the limitations in existing social prescribing programmes and the lack of disaggregated data makes it difficult to discern whether there are any trends or patterns in social prescribing outcomes for minoritised ethnic communities, including potential variations in impact across different regions.
Addressing the research gaps
The Race Equality Foundation, supported by the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance and NHSE Healthcare Inequalities Programme,, has released, Social Prescribing, Health Inequalities and Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic Communities, a report calling for more consistent and rigorous ethnicity data collection in social prescribing.
The report draws on case studies from Islington in London and Kirklees in Yorkshire, where data on the ethnic background of individuals referred to social prescribing, alongside other demographic factors such as gender, age, employment status, and deprivation indicators, has been collected. The findings show a higher proportion of social prescribing referrals for people from Black, Asian, and minoritised ethnic backgrounds relative to their population size. We welcomed this finding but it is one understood in the context of Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities experiencing greater deprivation, correlating with a heightened need for social prescribing.
The report acknowledges the potential of social prescribing, however, it underscores a significant gap in understanding its impact on Black, Asian, and minoritised ethnic communities due to inconsistent data collection and analysis.
For instance, The Kirklees data highlights that 35% of all social prescribing referrals between April and October 2023 came from individuals living in the most deprived areas. Additionally, 25% of referrals were from people who were unemployed. In Islington, mental health conditions, particularly depression and anxiety, were the most common health issues reported, reflecting broader health challenges in areas of high deprivation.
The report further reveals that many respondents left ethnicity categories unanswered, raising concerns about the public’s understanding of the importance of collecting such data; alongside inconsistencies with how ethnicity data collection occurs amongst services and the confidence of those delivering to engage in these important conversations. For example, multiple categories were presented rather than sticking to the ethnicity categories related to the 2021 census. Without consistent and clear demographic data, it becomes challenging to evaluate how well social prescribing is serving Black, Asian, and minoritised ethnic groups.
Case studies from Camden and Ealing also demonstrated successful approaches to addressing disparities in social prescribing referrals. The key recommendations from the report emphasise:
- the need for culturally competent healthcare
- targeted community engagement,
- better data analysis to ensure tailored support services.
Resources
Download our report here.
Watch our joint webinar with the National Academy for Social Prescribing.
Webinar NASP and Race Equality Foundation slides.
