29 Oct 2026
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Social prescribing can make a significant difference to people’s health and wellbeing. The Patients Association‘s research, commissioned by the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP), found that patients valued the time, listening and individual support they received from Social Prescribing Link Workers.
We surveyed more than 100 patients who had been referred to a link worker and held a focus group with people who had not experienced social prescribing, to understand potential barriers.
Read the reports:
> Views on social prescribing: Shaping the National Academy of Social Prescribing’s new strategy
What patients told us
Patients particularly valued the relationship with their link worker. They told us that being listened to without judgement, having their individual circumstances understood and having time to discuss what mattered to them made a real difference.
- 76% felt like an equal partner in decisions about their care made with their link worker.
- 76% felt their link worker spent enough time with them.
- 85% felt very or fairly comfortable speaking to their link worker.
- More than 90% said their link worker connected them to services they did not previously know about.
Patients described improvements in their mental wellbeing, confidence and social connections. More than half continued attending activities after their formal support had ended.
What next
While patients’ experiences were generally very positive, the research also highlights the need to protect the elements of social prescribing that patients value most. The relationship between a patient and their link worker is central. Time to listen, understand someone’s circumstances and build trust cannot be treated as an optional extra. These are fundamental to making personalised support work.
Social prescribing also needs to be well integrated with other health and care services, so that patients can move between different types of support without having to repeatedly explain their circumstances or take responsibility for joining up services themselves.
As social prescribing develops, patients’ experiences should remain central to decisions about how it is delivered. That means continuing to listen to what patients say works, understanding where there are barriers to accessing support, and making sure the model reflects the needs and preferences of the people it is intended to support.
New survey from the Patients Association - Patient views on the way AI is used in healthcare
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The Patients Association is pleased to be partnering with Heidi to give patients the chance to have their say on the use of AI tools in the NHS.
Heidi is an AI Care Partner that aims to double healthcare capacity, support the work of clinicians and strengthen the health systems those clinicians work in. Heidi approached us to understand more about how patients feel about various uses of AI in the NHS.
The survey aims to understand more about patient awareness and expectations of AI use in the NHS, and should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. We want to understand more about the information needs patients have, concerns about the use of AI, and what patients do and don’t currently understand about how AI is used in the NHS.
