Portsmouth social prescribers use social media to push self care message

A SOCIAL prescribing team are on a mission to use social media to help people care better for themselves.
Self care poster by the Island City Network primary care networkSelf care poster by the Island City Network primary care network
Self care poster by the Island City Network primary care network

The Island City Network primary care network, which incorporates Lake Road Surgery, Derby Road Practice and Sunnyside Medical Centre, have launched a YouTube channel and Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to spread videos about topics including mental health, sleep, exercise and mindfulness as part of NHS Self Care Week.

Head of the social prescribing team Sarah Croft said: ‘This is the week where the NHS focuses on helping our patients to help themselves look after both their physical and mental health.

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In past years this would have meant posters and promotions in surgeries but this year is very different as we don’t have many patients coming into surgeries because of coronavirus, our footfall is greatly reduced.

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‘We still wanted to reach out to people and help them with issues around health that can help them and particularly at a time which has been hard on everyone.

‘We decided to create social media pages and launch a YouTube channel as we thought it was a good way to reach people and we have created short 90 second videos which will be shared on each topic throughout the week to give people some tips about self care.

‘We are also doing an app of the day throughout the week and these include apps like Chill Panda, a mental health wellbeing app, and Calm Harm, an app that helps manage the urge to self harm.

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The team had the help of Portsmouth Grammar School’s A level class who helped create the films, which include clips on anxiety, eating well, and hand washing.

Sarah added: ‘I think when people think about health they only think about going to your GP and getting some medicines but there is so much to health and our social prescribing team is all about getting people to help themselves and find different techniques and tips they can use in their daily lives to improve their wellbeing.’

To get more information search Island City Network on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and see the videos visit the Island City Network on Youtube.

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