Speakers will examine the evidence, practical referral pathways, patient and practitioner experiences, and some of the barriers and conditions that can determine whether social prescribing initiatives are sustainable.

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The presentations will be followed by an open question-and-answer session and discussion, giving participants an opportunity to share experiences and perspectives from their own contexts.

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OBJECTIVES OF THE SESSION

• Explore how social prescribing through volunteering can work in everyday practice, using examples from different countries and healthcare settings;

• Share evidence, experiences and lessons learned, including the barriers and practical conditions that help social prescribing pathways succeed;

• Encourage international exchange between healthcare and community stakeholders on how sustainable connections between clinical care, volunteering and community organisations can be developed.

 

SPEAKERS

Professor Joyce Kenkre, Emeritus Professor of Primary Care, University of South Wales; Chair, WONCA Europe Special Interest Group on Social Prescribing and Community Orientation

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Professor Joyce Kenkre's work has focused on evidence-based models of community and primary care, chronic conditions and the evaluation of health services. Her international work includes social prescribing, rural health and community-based approaches to health and wellbeing, including research examining social prescribing interventions for people recovering from cancer.

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Dr. Ferdinando Petrazzuoli, General Practitioner; President, European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association (EURIPA)

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Dr. Ferdinando Petrazzuoli is a family doctor with around 40 years of experience in rural practice in southern Italy. He is President of the European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association (EURIPA), a WONCA Europe network. He holds a PhD from the Centre for Primary Health Care Research at Lund University, Sweden, and an MSc in Primary Care and General Practice from the University of Ulster. His work spans rural medicine, primary care research and social prescribing, with a particular interest in how community resources can support patients beyond the clinical consultation.