LiveWire wellbeing staff to be based at town’s GP surgeries

LiveWire staff will be based at GP practices across the town to help people with a range of topics such as mental health, accessing health and fitness opportunities, isolation and general wellbeing.

LiveWire has been commissioned to deliver the social prescribing service by the primary care networks for an initial period of two years.

Social prescribing is a key part of the NHS’s plan for universal personalised care, giving people the choice and control over their mental and physical health that they have come to expect in every other aspect of their life.

The service is open to all adults in Warrington, who can either be referred via a range of primary care avenues or by self-referring, who are suffering with long-term conditions, need mental health support, are lonely or isolated or have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.

The holistic approach connects people to community groups and services for practical and emotional support.

Locklynne Hall, health and wellbeing director for LiveWire, said: “It is brilliant that Warrington now has a brand-new social prescribing link worker service, which is a real asset for our town.

“A lot of hard work and collaboration has taken place between primary care networks, Warrington CCG and LiveWire to get this right as we start to recover from the pandemic.

LiveWire's SmokeFree Warrington team

“This type of service will be needed now more than ever before, and we are keen to reduce the burden on our GPs’ time, but also achieve better outcomes.

“Not everyone who visits their GP requires medication, as sometimes they just require a conversation about what other opportunities are out there that could help them, and social prescribing link workers perform exactly that function.”

Dr Laura Mount, Warrington GP and clinical director of Central and West Warrington Primary Care Network, also praised the initiative.

She added: “We are pleased to be working with our partners at LiveWire on this exciting new service.

“Many patients come to see us in primary care with health issues which are caused by or exacerbated by external factors.

“It is clear that after 18 months of pandemic, many people need extra support, and we are excited to welcome social prescribers into our local practices to support our patients.”

For more information on the social prescribing service, and how to access it, please speak with your GP surgery.