HEALT H CR EAT IO N
Health creation and social prescribing … what’s the difference? Merron Simpson Chief Executive, New NHS Alliance
The Health Creation Framework has been developed through listening carefully to people. It works because it is based on the experience of disadvantaged people whose lives have been changed for the better and those who work closely with them. They have told us that the key things that made the difference to them were listening and responding, truth-telling, strengths-focus, self-organising and powershifting. Health creation comes about when local people and professionals work together as equal partners and focus on what matters to people and their communities.
© Journal of holistic healthcare
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My main professional expertise lies in housing policy and practice but I often describe myself as a sector-bridger since much of what I do lies at the interface between traditional professional domains. My passion is to bring congruence between public services and the reality of people’s and communities’ lives – which requires health, housing, social care and other services to work together and focus on what it is that makes people well. I’ve worked with and advised many organisations including The King’s Fund, NHS England, the National Housing Federation, Housing LIN, the Local Government Association, De Montfort University and the Royal Town Planning Institute.
Social prescribing is increasingly being recognised as offering health and wellbeing benefits to patients beyond the consultation interaction alone. By recognising that people’s health is primarily determined by a range of social, economic and environmental factors, it seeks to address people’s needs in a more holistic way. According to The King’s Fund (2017) there are more than 100 social prescribing schemes in the UK – there may be many more. They are supported by the Social Prescribing Network and NHS England’s national clinical champion for social prescribing which advocates for this more holistic intervention. Another approach to addressing the unmet health and wellbeing needs of people and their communities is through the practice of health creation. This is being championed by New NHS Alliance and its members. Simply put, health creation is a route to wellness. It comes about when local people and professionals work together as equal partners and focus on what matters to people and their communities. Health creation is complementary to, and can enhance, social prescribing. However, there is
Volume 15 Issue 3 Autumn 2018
still some confusion as to how health creation fits within the overall scheme of things. Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of, and making choices toward, a healthy and fulfilling life. Wellness is more than being free from illness, it is a dynamic process of change and growth. University of California (undated)
Health creation and social prescribing New NHS Alliance was recently asked, on twitter, to clarify the relationship between social prescribing and health creation – as espoused by the alliance and its members. We felt that the best way to respond might be to set out not just one but several illustrations of how the relationship works. We expect different perspectives to be helpful to different people depending where they sit within the health and care system. And we value your feedback – so please feel free to tweet your thoughts @nhsalliance.
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