ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2021
Implementing social prescribing in primary care in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation: process evaluation of the 'Deep End' community Links Worker Programme.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Experiences of Non-Pharmaceutical Primary Care Interventions for Common Mental Health Disorders in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Groups: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- Unpacking the early implementation of social prescribing in Swedish primary care: a theory-informed process evaluation.Health promotion international · 2026Article
- Enhancing comprehensive in primary care: results of a cross-sectional survey of primary care social workers in Ontario, Canada.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Understanding the retention and support needs of UK first contact practitioner physiotherapists in primary care; a realist review.BMC primary care · 2026Review
- Models, implementation, and reported outcomes of social prescribing interventions: a scoping review.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Improving local authority financial support services for users with complex health needs: a mixed-method economic evaluation of Social Navigators in South Tyneside, UK.BMJ open quality · 2025Article
- How to improve support for people with (complex) multiple-problems through social prescribing in a vulnerable neighborhood; professionals', experts-by-experience' and clients' perspectives.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- We need better evidence for social prescribing: call for action for better systems for collaboration and building evidence.Perspectives in public health · 2025Article
- Process evaluation of the BASIL+ trial: A behavioural activation approach to addressing low mood and depression among older people with long-term conditions.PLOS mental health · 2025Article
- Third sector perspectives on community link worker referrals in social prescribing: a realist analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Understanding How, Why and for Whom Link Work Interventions Promote Access in Community Healthcare Settings in the United Kingdom: A Realist Review.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024Review
- Social prescription for the elderly: a community-based scoping review.Primary health care research & development · 2024Article
- Article
- Implement social prescribing successfully towards embedding: what works, for whom and in which context? A rapid realist review.BMC public health · 2024Review
- A meta-ethnography of the factors that shape link workers' experiences of social prescribing.BMC medicine · 2024Article
- Co-design workshops with families experiencing multiple and interacting adversities including parental mental health, substance use, domestic violence, and poverty: intervention principles and insights from mothers, fathers, and young people.Research involvement and engagement · 2024Article
- A rapid review of opportunities and challenges in the implementation of social prescription interventions for addressing the unmet needs of individuals living with long-term chronic conditions.BMC public health · 2024Review
- Theories used to develop or evaluate social prescribing in studies: a scoping review.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Article
- Implementation and impact of a social prescribing intervention: an ethnographic exploration.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSocial prescribing involving primary care-based 'link workers' is a key UK health policy that aims to reduce health inequalities. However, the process of implementation of the link worker approach has received little attention despite this being central to the desired impact and outcomes.
aimTo explore the implementation process of such an approach in practice. DESIGN AND
settingQualitative process evaluation of the 'Deep End' Links Worker Programme (LWP) over a 2-year period, in seven general practices in deprived areas of Glasgow.
methodThe study used thematic analysis to identify the extent of LWP integration in each practice and the key factors associated with implementation. Analysis was informed by normalisation process theory (NPT).
resultsOnly three of the seven practices fully integrated the LWP into routine practice within 2 years, based on the NPT constructs of coherence, cognitive participation, and collective action. Compared with 'partially integrated practices', 'fully integrated practices' had better shared understanding of the programme among staff, higher staff engagement with the LWP, and were implementing all aspects of the LWP at patient, practice, and community levels of intervention. Successful implementation was associated with GP buy-in, collaborative leadership, good team dynamics, link worker support, and the absence of competing innovations.
conclusionEven in a well-resourced government-funded programme, the majority of practices involved had not fully integrated the LWP within the first 2 years. Implementing social prescribing and link workers within primary care at scale is unlikely to be a 'quick fix' for mitigating health inequalities in deprived areas.
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