Prescribe ballroom dancing, not pills, Hancock tells GPS

DOCTORS should prescribe hobbies such as ballroom dancing, gardening and art classes, because they are often better than drugs, the Health Secretary says. Matt Hancock called for an increase in “social prescribing” in an attempt to “shift the balance” away from automatically prescribing drugs for many illnesses.

Speaking at an NHS conference in Manchester, he urged GPS to try to encourage patients to be more sociable and active, referring them to classes and groups, to try to reduce reliance on painkillers and antidepressants.

“The evidence increasingly shows that activities like social clubs, art, ballroom dancing and gardening can be more effective than medicines for some people and I want to see an increase in that sort of social prescribing,” he said.

Health officials are keen to see the spread of such policies, in a shift away from a “pill for every ill”.

Research from pilot schemes found that GPS who referred patients to classes like gardening, tango dancing and fishing saw a 25 per cent reduction in visits to A&E. GPS are being encouraged to refer patients who are stressed, depressed or suffering chronic pain for activities that could boost their health and reduce loneliness.

In Halton in Merseyside, GPS offer gardening, Nordic walking and tango dancing on prescription, plus confidence classes and stress management.

Across the North West, GPS have backed reading groups to help depression, while a Green Dreams scheme in Lancashire has 40 GPS referring patients to volunteer for outdoor garden work, with 27 per cent reporting a benefit to mental or physical health.