Early success for Persistent Physical Symptoms pilot
The Ways to Wellness Persistent Physical Symptoms (PPS) pilot, which has been running since April 2024, is showing promising improvements in wellbeing for clients across four GP surgeries in Newcastle –upon –Tyne.
The holistic approach taken in this work draws upon the success of our inaugural project, which for the last 10 years has used social prescribing link workers to support individuals with specific Long-term Conditions.
Persistent Physical Symptoms – which include conditions such as chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome – account for around 20–40% of GP consultations and up to 60% of cases seen by hospital doctors.
Clinical solutions such as medication may not always be the best solution, yet clinicians struggle to keep up with the non-clinical and community options that might help.
Supporting the whole person
Our link workers use a tool called the Well-being Star to explore eight key areas of a person’s life – from symptom management to relationships with friends and family. Together with the client, they create a snapshot of where things are now and where there’s room for change. This helps link workers understand how they can better support them where they need it most.
Early data from the pilot shows a 4.5 point improvement across all Well-being Star areas, with the greatest change of an average 1.5 point increase in managing symptoms.
Many clients speak positively about the experience of working with a link worker saying they feel listened to and have started to find enjoyment in their life again. This support is complemented by a ‘living well with pain’ group supporting further community connections.
What we're hearing
“Ways to Wellness’s test-and-learn prototyping model means we can take what works from previous prototyping activity and use well-researched methods to provide holistic support for people,” says Head of Implementation, Ang Broadbridge.
“It’s wonderful to see the impact from these early results on the PPS prototype , and how the social prescribing model is already helping people make changes in their lives.”
“When it comes to pain, it’s easy for clients to feel as if their whole life is taken over by it,” adds Steffen Laukard, PPS Team Lead for Ways to Wellness.
“Our work at Ways to Wellness is to open their life back up and help people find new ways to enjoy what matters to them, even while still living with symptoms.”
Looking ahead
The Persistent Physical Symptoms pilot is currently expected to run for two years, with further evaluation to come. These early signs are encouraging – and show that with the right kind of support, people with persistent physical symptoms can make real strides in their wellbeing. Listen to Dr. Brigid Joughin (GP and former trustee of Ways to Wellness) and Steffen Laukard (who leads their Persistent Physical Symptoms project) talk about the PPS pilot on the This is the North podcast.
