LTR Sets up Links with new Social Prescribing Initiative

Monday 9th March 2020

JH

LTR met recently with key staff from Citizens Advice Bureau to link its activities to the Social Prescribing initiative being rolled out across Ipswich.

CAB has taken responsibility for linking every doctor's surgery in Ipswich to organisations which can provide patients with non-medical help.

LTR has been particularly keen to link surgeries to the services provided by Read Easy Ipswich and Suffolk Babies.

Recognising that 8,000 people in Ipswich will struggle to read medical instructions and forms, and will probably be depressed by the impact of their lack of reading skills, it seems essential that surgeries, via CAB, can sign-post such patients to the coaching services of Read Easy Ipswich.

Similarly, if we are to encourage all new parents to read/sing/talk with their babies from birth, then linking them to Suffolk Babies classes (hopefully locally) will be a major step forward.

The scheme is now working in all Ipswich surgeries, with a CAB volunteer visiting each surgery once a week for a half-day session of appointments with patients. A CAB facilitator then helps the patient to engage with whichever organisation is recommended.