Faith and Social Prescribing: Timely opportunity and moment for action
The National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) and Good Faith Partnership's report, Faith and Social Prescribing Roundtable report: Building Strategic Partnerships for Neighbourhood Health, comes at a critical time for the NHS.
As the system continues its shift towards neighbourhood health, prevention, and tackling inequalities, one of the most significant and underused assets is already in place: faith communities.
Across England, faith organisations provide essential frontline support every day. From food banks and debt advice to mental health support and spaces for connection and belonging, they are often embedded in the very communities where health inequalities are most acute.
Yet despite this, they remain largely disconnected from formal social prescribing pathways.
Key finding: Faith communities currently receive a disproportionately low share of social prescribing referrals, despite the scale of their contribution.
System opportunity in plain sight
Since 2019, more than 5.5 million people have been referred to social prescribing. The evidence base is strong, with growing data showing reductions in GP appointments, A&E attendance, and hospital admissions.
However, the full potential of social prescribing has not yet been realised.
Faith communities represent one of the largest and most established networks of community support in the country. Connecting this existing infrastructure more effectively into social prescribing offers a powerful opportunity to extend both reach and impact.
Key finding: Over half of people in England and Wales identify with a faith, with faith often playing a stronger role in communities experiencing higher levels of deprivation.
Trusted partners in communities facing the greatest need
Health inequalities remain one of the most pressing challenges for the NHS.
Faith organisations are often among the most trusted institutions in communities experiencing deprivation and among ethnic minority populations. They are not only service providers, but places of trust, identity, and belonging.
If the NHS is to reach those who are currently underserved, it must work with partners who are already present and trusted.
This report highlights a major opportunity for the NHS. If we are serious about prevention and neighbourhood health, we must go beyond clinical care and work with trusted community networks. Social prescribing is already improving outcomes and reducing pressure on the system, especially in areas with the greatest health inequalities, but we are not making full use of the existing local support.
Faith communities are deeply embedded in these areas, offering trusted relationships, practical support and a sense of belonging. These are fundamental drivers of health that medicine alone cannot provide. As we shift towards neighbourhood health, the question is no longer whether we work with partners such as faith organisations, but how to do so systematically, at scale and as a core part of the health system.
Timely opportunity for neighbourhood health
The neighbourhood health agenda represents a significant shift in how care is delivered.
Moving from hospital to community and from treatment to prevention requires strong and sustained community partnerships. Faith communities, with their buildings, volunteers, networks, and long-standing commitment to caring for others, are uniquely placed to play this role.
Key finding: Faith communities act as trusted anchor institutions with long term presence, local knowledge, and the ability to convene and support communities over generations.
This moment also reflects a wider policy alignment, with neighbourhood health, the NHS long term plan, and national strategies increasingly recognising the role of communities in improving health outcomes.
What needs to change
While the opportunity is clear, the report also identifies barriers that must be addressed.
These include:
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Limited awareness within the health system of the value faith organisations bring
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Lack of clear pathways for engagement between systems and faith groups
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Pressures on volunteer capacity and sustainability
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Funding models that are often inaccessible to smaller community organisations.
Key finding: Many link workers report being unaware of faith-based services in their area, limiting referrals and partnership opportunities.
Addressing these challenges is essential if partnerships are to move from informal and local to systematic and scalable.
This report confirms what we see every day in communities across the country: faith organisations are often providing essential wellbeing support. They offer connection, practical support and a sense of purpose, all of which are essential to wellbeing that no prescription can provide.
"We know that when faith communities and the NHS work together intentionally, outcomes improve and people are more able to access the help that they need. Health leaders should see faith organisations not as an add-on, but as core partners in neighbourhood health. We are ready to help make that happen.
From conversation to action
This report is not just a reflection. It is a call to action.
It brings together insights from leaders across the NHS, local government, faith communities, and the voluntary sector. It sets out practical steps that can be taken now to strengthen collaboration and embed faith organisations within social prescribing and neighbourhood health.
These include:
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Building stronger local relationships between link workers and faith groups
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Improving visibility of faith-based provision within local systems
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Investing in community infrastructure and sustainable funding
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Supporting shared learning, training, and evidence development.
This report recognises the vital contribution of faith communities and makes one thing clear: they are not a marginal part of the system, but a vital, existing infrastructure for health and wellbeing. The opportunity now is to connect that infrastructure more effectively to social prescribing and the wider NHS.
It also sets out a practical path forward. For commissioners, system leaders and community partners, turn this insight into delivery by strengthening relationships, improving visibility of local provision and embedding faith organisations within neighbourhood health approaches. As the NHS shifts towards community-based care and prevention, the time to act is now, and the partnerships we build today will shape the future of neighbourhood health.
The opportunity ahead
The question is no longer whether faith communities should be part of the system.
It is how we make this happen at scale, sustainably, and with impact.
The foundations already exist. Across the country, faith organisations are supporting health and wellbeing every day. The task now is to connect, strengthen, and grow what is already there.
