Social Prescribing Information Standard
For many people, improving their health and wellbeing requires a holistic approach and support by professionals who can help them focus on what matters to them to live well. Social prescribing supports people to understand their needs and connects them to local community (non-clinical), often voluntary, services which can provide the help they need.
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Current release
Version: v1.1 |
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> Standard model – Excel (all standards including Provenance Data) |
Social Prescribing Information Standard |
> Standard model – Json |
> Standard model – PRSB viewer |
Referral to social prescribing services |
> Standard model – Json |
> Standard model – PRSB viewer |
Message back to GP and referrer |
> Standard model – Json |
> Standard model – PRSB viewer |
> Supporting documentation
(external link to NHS Standards Directory) |
From 01 January 2026, this standard will be owned and managed by NHS England and is made available for reuse or amendment under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL 3.0). A review of the ongoing requirement for this standard will be undertaken by NHS England. Details on this and any update to the standard will be published on the NHS Standards Directory. If you have any questions or feedback relating to this standard, please email: england.standards.assurance@nhs.net.
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About this standard
The Social Prescribing Information Standard will enable the sharing and recording of information for the whole patient journey, from initial referral, throughout the period of social prescribing and the message back to the referrer and GP at its conclusion. (See National Association of Link Workers Education Standards).Â
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The standard supports the recording and sharing of information including:
- The information required to support the conversations between the link worker and the person
- Information to support people, show their healthcare is joined up and avoid them having to retell their story multiple times
- Information that can be shared with the person themselves, their family or carer
- Summary information back to the referrer and GP for the person’s overall record
- Information for secondary uses, e.g. for understanding the scale and effectiveness of social prescribing services, planning, population health etc.
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The standard is UK wide with involvement from all four nations. It was commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement and has an important role to play in the English national drive to widen the use of social prescribing to support citizen empowerment and personalised care, as stated in the NHS Long Term Plan.
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Examples
To give a clearer idea of how the standard works in practice, PRSB have created examples to show how the standard is intended to be used in practice.Â
