Social prescribing serves up a winner for long Covid sufferer
'It's the perfect medicine to feeling brighter after years of darkness.'
That's how one man has described his "social prescription" to a Bury-based tennis group while struggling with the physical and mental impact of long Covid.
Five years on from the pandemic, Stephen Finneran (43), from Prestwich, said: 'Covid hit me hard.
"From an active life including playing football every week and enjoying tennis, badminton and regular 20-mile hikes with friends, I was wiped out with severe fatigue and shortness of breath. I was unable to work as an archivist, and I felt like life had been taken from me.'
One of an estimated 1.9 million people in England and Scotland living with long Covid, Stephen outlined how medication alone has not been the answer to his condition.
He said: 'Being unable to work, play competitive sport or walk for any length of time without struggling to breathe, reduced my world.
"I couldn't talk without quickly becoming breathless and this made me socially isolated and affected my mental health.
"For someone used to being out and about with others this was brutal.'
Supported by Julie Marshall - one of a team of 10 social prescribers working across GP practices in Bury, Prestwich and Whitefield - Stephen has taken up walking tennis.
He said: 'It enables me to play a sport I love at a pace I can cope with, plus meet other people. I'm already feeling the benefits, both physically and mentally."
Bury GP Federation figures show that in the 10 months from May 2024 more than 5,850 patients have benefited from "social prescriptions" which address social, emotional and practical needs to improve patient mental and physical wellbeing.
It's a service that favours 'more talk than tablets".
Creating personalised care plans, social prescribers connect people to community groups and social activities – from drop-ins to support social isolation and mental health, to arts and crafts, sporting opportunities and green prescribing.
The team also helps patients with advice regarding debt and job issues, homelessness and welfare benefits.
The combination of social prescribing and the council teaming up with We Do Tennis CIC, has certainly made a difference to Stephen.
He added: 'Long Covid limited my life. Now I'm slowly getting it back.'
A list of what's on locally to benefit the borough's patients are shared via community centres, voluntary groups, GP practices and via social media including Prestwich and Whitefield Primary Care Network on Facebook www.facebook.com/PrestwichWhitefieldPCN and Horizon PCN (covering six GP practices) www.facebook.com/HorizonPCN
For more details, or to self-refer, please email the social prescribing team: nwch.socialprescribing@nhs.net
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