Conclusion: The Present and Future of Social Prescribing
摘要
In this concluding chapter, policy, research, and practice across England, Wales, Ireland, Portugal, Germany, Canada, and Singapore are summarised, drawing on key similarities and differences and offering a critical lens on emerging themes. We discuss guiding policy principles of social prescribing across countries, including universality, equity, and accessibility, individual choice, community centred approaches, and integration. We then discuss research, evaluation, and monitoring advances and provide some reflections for a future research agenda. We conclude by highlighting key similarities and differences in the social prescribing pathway between countries. Despite several challenges, social prescribing can provide greater health and well-being for citizens and greater integration between public services and the VCFSE sector. Trust and care between link workers and individuals are an essential mechanism to achieve these objectives.