Morning, Friday, 18th September 2026
Online
This conference will examine next steps for social prescribing in England. Discussion will focus on practical integration within neighbourhood health services, as well as questions around outcomes and evaluation, workforce and funding priorities, and the role of innovation and community-based approaches in supporting implementation.
With the NHS 10 Year Health Plan placing greater emphasis on neighbourhood health services and prevention, delegates will consider what will be needed for social prescribing to support these objectives in different local contexts. The agenda will assess implications for health and community settings, including commissioning, workforce capacity, long-term resourcing, and approaches to supporting equitable access as expectations for neighbourhood-level care continue to develop.
Delivery, integration & equitable access
The agenda will examine the role of social prescribing in neighbourhood health services and wider reforms aimed at prevention and neighbourhood-based care. Delegates will consider practicalities for embedding social prescribing within service reform, alongside questions around consistency, access, partnership working, and sustainable delivery.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- neighbourhood services: integration of social prescribing - implications of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan - supporting prevention and addressing wider determinants of health
- referral pathways: social prescribing within primary care and PCNs - coordination across services - approaches to seamless referral and follow-up arrangements
- local partnerships: collaboration between ICSs, local government, primary care and the VCSE sector - governance arrangements - frameworks for joined-up delivery
- access and variation: addressing geographical differences in provision - reducing uneven access - responding to concerns around community capacity and service availability
- commissioning: supporting increasingly complex and multimorbid caseloads - aligning commissioning with neighbourhood-level support - social prescribing within wider system reform
- co-production: inclusive service design - support for people with complex needs - engagement with communities, VCSE organisations and faith-based groups
- international best practice: implications for delivery models, partnership working and prevention-focused approaches
Evidence, research priorities & monitoring outcomes
Sessions will assess the current evidence base for social prescribing and implications for future policy and commissioning. Discussion is expected on outcome measurement, research priorities, and what will be needed to strengthen understanding of long-term impacts across different populations and settings.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- evidence base: implications of recent NIHR evaluation findings - outcomes relating to wellbeing and condition management - priorities for future research
- access and outcomes: experiences of delivery through PCNs and link workers - factors influencing uptake and effectiveness
- research priorities: long-term outcomes - population-level impacts - understanding effectiveness across different models of provision
- measurement: development of standardised metrics - approaches to outcome monitoring - supporting consistency in evaluation
- equitable delivery: assessing impact across deprived communities, vulnerable groups and people who are digitally excluded - priorities for addressing service variation
- evidence: addressing gaps in data recording and outcome measurement - strengthening reporting of findings to commissioners and service providers
- investment priorities: improving confidence in evaluation frameworks - supporting assessment of effectiveness and longer-term resource decisions
Workforce, skills, capacity & funding
The conference will consider workforce and resource requirements for delivering social prescribing at scale, exploring support for link workers and community partners, managing growing demand, and approaches to sustainable funding in the context of wider NHS reform.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- workforce capacity: responding to rising demand and increasingly complex caseloads - supporting sustainable service delivery
- skills: training, upskilling and professional support - priorities for workforce development within neighbourhood health services
- retention: flexible working arrangements - support structures - addressing factors associated with workforce pressures and burnout
- multidisciplinary working: supporting effective integration of link workers within neighbourhood teams - collaboration across professional groups and services
- service capacity: strategies for addressing inappropriate referrals - mitigating the impact of increasing demand pressures - matching support to local need
- workforce planning: implications of the forthcoming DHSC 10 Year Workforce Plan - future expectations for link worker roles
- funding models: options for sustainable, long-term resourcing - implications of NHS reform and prevention-focused approaches
- investment: assessing cost-effectiveness and value for money - approaches to supporting longer-term investment decisions
- Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme funding: future arrangements for link worker posts supported through the ARRS - implications for service delivery and workforce stability
Innovation, green social prescribing & digital tools
Further discussion will examine innovation in service delivery, including nature-based interventions and digital approaches that support referral management, monitoring and evaluation. Delegates will consider how emerging models can contribute to neighbourhood-level delivery and wider prevention objectives.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- green prescribing: implications of Natural England pilots and evaluations - nature-based approaches to supporting health and wellbeing
- community delivery: locally led models - partnerships with community organisations - supporting prevention-focused services
- long-term conditions: evidence relating to nature-based interventions - implications for future service development
- digital tools: referral platforms and digital infrastructure - supporting efficient service coordination and access
- outcome tracking: approaches to monitoring outcomes and activity - improving consistency in reporting and evaluation
- data systems: standardising collection and reporting - best practice in supporting evidence generation and service improvement
- neighbourhood delivery: technology-enabled approaches to sustainable local provision - assessing avoided demand and resource implications
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates.
