Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Evidence shows that social isolation is a significant issue for population health, with links to a multiple of chronic health conditions. The pandemic was a major contributory factor to increases in social isolation and the 2021 Healthy Ireland Survey, carried out while significant restrictions were still in place, found a significant increase in isolation and a decrease in the proportion of the population reporting positive mental health. Mental health measures had improved somewhat, when measured again in the 2023 Healthy Ireland Survey, but were still lower than when measured before the pandemic, in 2016.

Social prescribing is a key means of linking patients, through primary care, with community-based supports, including arts and creativity, physical activity, group supports, green activity and computerised therapy. It has been shown to result in positive emotional, cognitive and social outcomes, and to reduce social exclusion for disadvantaged, isolated, lonely and vulnerable people, many of whom live with depression and anxiety.

In 2021, following pilots in a number of regions of the country, the HSE published its Social Prescribing Framework to set out a common approach to the mainstreaming, integration and delivery of social prescribing across the organisation. Social Prescribing is a key part of health service provision and is being integrated across Community Healthcare Networks in line with the HSE Social Prescribing Framework and is also identified as a priority in the HSE Mental Health Promotion Plan Stronger Together.

Social prescribing is receiving very significant annual funding and supports from this Government and is delivered by the HSE and community partners. It received a total allocation of €2.68 million in 2023, increasing the number of link workers to 40 across the country. 20 of these link workers are located within the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme areas. All of these services are delivered by community and voluntary organisations in partnership with the HSE. For a list of HSE funded social prescribing services see allirelandsocialprescribing.ie/members-map/.

Sláintecare Healthy Communities (SHC) is a cross-Government initiative that delivers health and wellbeing services and supports to 20 community areas of greatest need across Ireland. Social Prescribing is integrated into the Healthy Communities programme and is being provided in each community via local development companies and family resource centres. Social Prescribing Link Workers in each SHC area empower individuals to access local services to improve their mental health and wellbeing. To enable this, the link workers establish strong relationships with a range of health services locally, including primary care, mental health, community dieticians, self-management support programmes etc. At present, across the 20 areas, there are approximately 500 new open social prescribing cases per quarter.

The HSE Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons (ICPOP) programme have set up and will provide a specialist service to older people, similar to services provided by Social Prescribing Link Workers – known as a Community Connector. This is a specialist service for a specific cohort of older patients upon discharge from ICPOP and is being piloted across the HSE (one per CHO).

HSE Health & Wellbeing are putting multiple supports in place for standardised and nationwide implementation of social prescribing, including establishing an HSE Social Prescribing Advisory Group and developing an e-learning module for health professionals and an Outcomes Framework on social prescribing.

Post-pandemic, with vaccines and sensible precautions, and as reconnecting with others has numerous physical and mental health benefits, Healthy Ireland developed a nationwide media campaign, launched on 1 March 2023, aimed at older people to encourage them to rebuild their social connections and re-integrate into their communities. The campaign supports older people to reconnect with the world, to say “Hello Again World”, make up for lost time and re-establish important connections with their community.

Social prescribing is a key element of that reconnection process - further information on social prescribing and how to access it, including via self-referral, is available on the HSE website, under social prescribing.

As the details of local provision and service planning are matters for the HSE, I have asked them to respond to the Deputy directly regarding provision in Drumcondra and Glasnevin