New pilots to reduce reliance on prescription medication by
prescribing interventions to improve mental health have been
announced by Health Secretary, .
Mind Cymru and the British Red Cross have been awarded a total of
£1,351,066 to deliver projects across Wales.
The British Red Cross will run pilots for adults who have low to
moderate mental health problems and are frequent attenders of GP
or ambulance services in Pembrokeshire and Caerphilly.
Mind Cymru will work with adults who are isolated, lonely and at
risk of poor mental health in Taf Ely, South Powys and North
Denbighshire.
Link workers will work with patients to develop tailored support
plans that they can undertake locally.
Types of interventions could include:
- Non-clinical interventions(e.g. mindfulness)
- Referrals to advice and support for housing, debt, benefits
etc.
- Community based wellbeing activities such as walking groups,
arts and craft etc.
Mr Gething said: “Social prescribing can be an excellent way to
provide long-term mental health support for people in their own
communities and reduce reliance on prescription drugs.
We made a commitment to deliver social prescribing pilots in our
Together for Mental Health and Prosperity for All strategies.
These pilots will build on existing work across Wales to promote
social prescribing, to ensure people have access to care and
support which truly recognises them as an individual, and takes
account of the full range of factors which could be affecting
their mental health and wellbeing.
They will provide valuable evidence about which interventions are
most effective so that we can develop models to be used across
Wales.”
