{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T11:58:37Z","timestamp":1785412717530,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784592000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":201,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["cambridge.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Prim Health Care Res Dev"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"S1463423626101443_as1\">\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Social prescribing (SP) is increasingly recognised as a key component of primary care, implemented in at least 25 countries by 2023. In England, SP has been nationally rolled out through Primary Care Networks (PCNs), though many areas, including Redbridge in East London, had pre-existing VCSE-led models. How national and local approaches integrate in practice remains underexplored.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"S1463423626101443_as2\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study used a two-step qualitative design. First, documentary analysis of service planning and evaluation documents mapped the SP referral pathway in Redbridge before and after the national rollout. Second, 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposively sampled stakeholders from PCNs, RedbridgeCVS, the local authority, and the Clinical Commissioning Group, exploring service integration and delivery experiences. Data were analysed using the Framework Method, combining deductive coding against predefined themes with inductive identification of emergent categories.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"S1463423626101443_as3\">\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>RedbridgeCVS was widely valued for its expertise, especially in managing complex cases, training link workers, and facilitating access to local services. However, integration across PCNs was inconsistent. Participants reported variation in GP engagement, referral processes, and support structures. PCN link workers faced capacity pressures, unclear role boundaries, and limited access to clinical supervision, affecting the sustainability and coherence of service delivery.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"S1463423626101443_as4\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Integrating national and local SP models requires clearer leadership, standardized referral pathways, and consistent support for link workers. Without greater alignment across primary care and VCSE partners, the full potential of SP risks being undermined. Link workers must be recognized and supported as core members of the primary care team.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1017\/s1463423626101443","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T07:51:00Z","timestamp":1784620260000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/policypage","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Navigating the national rollout: examining Primary Care Network link workers and the integration of local social prescribing models in Redbridge"],"prefix":"10.1017","volume":"27","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4358-9372","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ainul Nadhirah","family":"Hanafiah","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/057jrqr44","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of East London"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3356-7129","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marcello","family":"Bertotti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/057jrqr44","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of East London"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1742395319882068"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/eurpub\/ckz078"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2016-013384"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref1","unstructured":"Bertotti, M , Frostick, C and Temirov, O (2020) An evaluation of Social Prescribing in the London Borough of Redbridge : Final evaluation report An evaluation of Social Prescribing in the London Borough of Redbridge : final evaluation report (Issue July)."},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5334\/ijic.7551"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref15","unstructured":"NHS (2019) The NHS Long Term Plan."},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/hsc.12839"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/hsc\/4394123"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3399\/BJGP.2024.0279"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2024\/2479543"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref19","volume-title":"Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers","author":"Ritchie","year":"2013"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2022.115598"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref13","unstructured":"National Association of Link Workers (2020) Care for the Carer: Social Prescribing Link Workers views, perspectives, and experiences of clinical supervision and wellbeing support\u2019, National Association of Link Workers."},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12916-020-1510-7"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2022-070184"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref14","unstructured":"NHS (2022) Social Prescribing Link Worker - Competency Framework."},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1463423619000598"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2018.12.029"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-022-08656-1"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref9","unstructured":"Khan, H and Chiva Giurca, B (2023) Social prescribing around the World partners across the globe. global@nasp.info."},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1757913920967040"},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref17","unstructured":"Polley, M , Seers, H , Toye, O , Henkin, T and Waterson, H (2023) Building the economic case for social prescribing (Issue October). The National Academy for Social Prescribing."},{"key":"S1463423626101443_ref8","unstructured":"Jones, C and Lynch, M (2020) Grow well social prescribing pilot evaluation. In Final Report."}],"container-title":["Primary Health Care Research &amp; Development"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S1463423626101443","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T07:51:08Z","timestamp":1784620268000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S1463423626101443\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"references-count":23,"alternative-id":["S1463423626101443"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/s1463423626101443","relation":{},"ISSN":["1463-4236","1477-1128"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1463-4236","type":"print"},{"value":"1477-1128","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"assertion":[{"value":"\u00a9 The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.","name":"license","label":"License","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This content has been made available to all.","name":"free","label":"Free to read"}],"article-number":"e76"}}