social prescribing

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a healthcare approach in which clinicians refer patients to non-medical community resources and activities — such as art classes, gardening groups, debt counselling, befriending services, or volunteering — to address social, emotional, and practical needs that contribute to poor health outcomes; social prescribing acknowledges that many health problems, particularly those related to loneliness, mental health, and chronic disease management, are better addressed through social connection and community participation than through pharmaceutical or clinical interventions; it is now a formal component of primary care commissioning in the National Health Service in England