WGPlus (Archive)
Winter is often the loneliest time |
Loneliness is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, Theresa May said last week as she launched the first cross-Government strategy to tackle it. The PM confirmed all GPs in England will be able to refer patients experiencing loneliness to community activities & voluntary services by 2023. Three quarters of GPs surveyed have said they are seeing between 1 and 5 people a day suffering with loneliness, which is linked to a range of damaging health impacts, like heart disease, strokes and Alzheimer’s disease. Around 200,000 older people have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month. The practice known as ‘social prescribing’ will allow GPs to direct patients to community workers offering tailored support to help people improve their health & wellbeing, instead of defaulting to medicine. Up to a fifth of all UK adults feel lonely most or all of the time and with evidence showing loneliness can be as bad for health as obesity or smoking, the PM has also announced the first ever ‘Employer Pledge’ to tackle loneliness in the workplace. |
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DCMS: PM launches Government’s first loneliness strategy LGA responds to government's loneliness strategy A connected society: A strategy for tackling loneliness Mayor opens community café to tackle loneliness Helping older people to live independently “Loneliness and isolation in rural Wales is a ticking time bomb” – Huw Irranca-Davies New fund tackling loneliness opens to applications £20m investment to help tackle loneliness LGA responds to Royal College of GPs call to tackle loneliness “Tackling loneliness and isolation in Wales is a national priority” – Huw Irranca-Davies Looking for solutions to a growing problem |