University of Westminster June 2017
- It is estimated that around 20% of patients consult their GP for what is primarily a social problem. It has been suggested that referral to a social prescribing service could reduce this pressure. This systematic review critically appraises the current evidence as to whether social prescribing reduces the demand for health services and is cost effective.
- Fourteen papers were examined.
- Seven looked at the ffect on demand for general practice, reporting an average 28% reduction in demand for GP services.
- Five studies looked at the effect on A&E attendances and reported an average fall of 24% in attendance
- Five studies looked at demand on other secondary care services and reported significant reductsion in demand.
- Value for money assessments in eight studies were methodologically unsatisfactory.
- Anaysis of Social Return on Investment in four studies suggest SROI was £2.3 per £1 invested in the first year.
- Poor quality of data means all results have to be interpreted with caution.
