News alert / Social prescribing in Wales
The Welsh government has launched a national framework for social prescribing to make this approach to healthcare more accessible across Wales. Social prescribing of activities, such as exercise classes, gardening and arts groups, is growing in Wales and helping to reduce the burden on GPs. The latest data shows a year-on-year increase in referrals and use of social prescribing from around 10,000 in 2018/19 to just over 25,000 in 2020/21. Through its early preventative approach, evidence suggests it reduces footfall to GP surgeries by 15% to 28%.
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