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Examples of evidence
  • Arts on prescription programmes have been shown to result in improvements in anxiety, depression and wellbeing, including in patients with multi-morbidities, and to be cost-effective [1], [2]
  • Community gardening has been shown to modify the risk factors for musculoskeletal conditions through increases in physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, and reductions in stress [3], [4], [5]
  • A social prescribing programme commissioned by an NHS clinical commissioning group to improve wellbeing and reduce hospital admissions for people living with a long-term condition in deprived areas of Newcastle reported improvements in wellbeing for 86% of participants over the first six years and a 27% reduction in secondary care costs per patient [6]
  • The estimated cost per quality adjusted life year gained in a social prescribing programme in Doncaster was £1,963. This equates to systems benefits valued at £1.83 million [7]
Creative health in practice

The Thriving Communities project in Bristol developed partnerships between grassroots organisations with the aim of improving practice and knowledge of social prescribing in the city.

Between June 2021 and June 2022, the project’s partners identified need and developed six innovative social prescribing programmes involving aspects of art, nature and physical activity. 

Participant groups included women experiencing chronic pain, carers and children, and young people experiencing anxiety. They were referred to activities by health professionals. 

Programmes were well received by participants who experienced improvements in mood, attention and loneliness. They described feelings of increased social connection, self-efficacy, confidence and moments of awe, beauty and ‘escape’. 

The partnership network that was subsequently established has led to further collaboration and successfully funded activities that use local and community assets.

You can find out more about Thriving Communities at: www.creativeshift.org.uk/thriving-communities

Where next?

The NCCH has worked in partnership with NHS England to develop a Creative Health Toolkit. It includes examples of how creative health can be used in social prescribing: 

The National Centre for Creative Health

NCCH supports health and care sector professionals in organisations and systems to achieve the benefits of creative health approaches for patients and service users.

We publish a monthly newsletter especially created for professionals working across health and care. Please do subscribe here and/or share with colleagues working across Primary Care, Provider Trusts, ICBs, Public Health, Social Care and across the NHS, so they can access the latest news for creative health!

Downloadable information

Download this information sheet in PDF format

 

  1. Sumner, R.C. et al. (2021) ‘Arts on prescription: observed changes in anxiety, depression, and well-being across referral cycles’, Public Health, 192, pp. 49–55. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2020.12.008 

  2. Polley, M. et al. (2023) Building the economic evidence case for social prescribing. London: National Academy for Social Prescribing. Available from: https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/read-the-evidence/building-the-economic-case-for-social-prescribing/

  3. All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts Health and Wellbeing, National Centre for Creative Health. Creative Health Review: How Policy Can Embrace Creative Health. 2023 December. Available from: https://ncch.org.uk/creative-health-review 

  4. Litt JS, Alaimo K, Harrall KK, Hamman RF, Hébert JR, Hurley TG, et al. Effects of a community gardening intervention on diet, physical activity, and anthropometry outcomes in the USA (CAPS): an observer-blind, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Planetary Health. 2023 Jan;7(1):e23–32. DOI: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00303-5/fulltext     

  5. Alaimo K, Beavers AW, Coringrato E, Lacy K, Ma W, Hurley TG, et al. Community Gardening Increases Vegetable Intake and Seasonal Eating From Baseline to Harvest: Results from a Mixed Methods Randomized Controlled Trial. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2023 May;7(5):100077. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.100077 

  6. National Academy for Social Prescribing (2024) Ways to Wellness: Long-Term Conditions service. Available from: https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/resources/ways-to-wellness-long-term-conditions-service/

  7. Dayson, C. and Bennett, E. (2016) Evaluation of Doncaster Social Prescribing Service: understanding outcomes and impact. Sheffield Hallam University. Available from: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/17298/1/eval-doncaster-social-prescribing-service.pdf