Thousands of GPs are now able to monitor their patients’ social prescribing journey through a two-way integration between Elemental Software and EMIS Web.
Some 4,300 GPs in more than 100 primary care networks (PCNs) now have access to Elemental’s software platform enabling them to access data about patient referrals for social prescribing.
It allows GPs to make and manage referrals for social prescribing, a method of signposting people to non-medical sources of support within the community to help improve their wellbeing.
Social prescribing often includes activities like fitness, gardening, cooking, and support groups.
Dr Rajesh Rajan, GP Chesire and Wirral Partnership Foundation Trust, said: “The new functionality that Elemental has developed is going to take social prescribing to the next level. The fact that GPs can now see the uptake and impact of the social prescribing referrals they make, within the patient record in EMIS Web is groundbreaking.
“It will further strengthen the relationship we have with the community and voluntary sector and benefit our patients considerably.”
Elemental’s digital social prescribing platform is currently used by more than 1,500 social prescribing link workers across the UK and Ireland.
Leeann Monk Ozgul, co-Founder and chief operations officer at Elemental, said: “We worked with a number of GPs to co-design how Elemental could enhance their current integration to make reporting for them much easier whilst also ensuring their patients were fully supported by providing the PCNs, with a 360-degree view of a social prescribing journey.
“Now we are proud to share with you all about this exciting new integration enhancement.”
The NHS Long Term Plan suggests that nearly one million people will qualify for referral to social prescribing schemes by 2024.
In summer 2020 the British Medical Association said social prescribing should be incorporated into GP IT systems to ensure practices reach their “full potential”.
Social prescribing – the referral to non-clinical services such as community groups – has been part of the General Medical Services contract since 2019 but did not form part of GP IT systems.