Primary Care Social Prescribing Symposium

About the Symposium

The symposium will focus on social prescribing implementation, capacity building, and impact in primary health care. It has been designed in response to the strong interest expressed by Primary Health Network (PHN) delegates at EACH24, ASPIRE’s annual conference.

This is a timely and strategic opportunity for PHNs to engage, as social prescribing is gaining momentum globally and nationally. Several PHNs and non-government organisations have already invested in social prescribing initiatives, and state governments are supporting innovative models—such as Queensland’s Neighbourhood Centres initiative for children and families.

In addition, parliamentary inquiries into loneliness in NSW and the ACT are examining social prescribing as part of a government response, while the Australian Health Policy Collaboration (AHPC) feasibility study on national implementation, commissioned under the National Preventive Health Strategy, is now under consideration by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

As highlighted in the feasibility study and recent thought leadership discussions, social prescribing has the potential to be a catalyst for PHNs in driving health and social care integration and preventive health efforts.

Why Attend?

The symposium is targeted at PHN executives, key directorate staff, PHN partners, collaborators, and clinical and community leaders, particularly those involved in PHN clinical and community advisory committees.

Participants will:

Receive expert briefings on the latest social prescribing evidence and practice

• Access a compendium of case studies with success factor analysis
• Discuss policy and funding opportunities to advance social prescribing
• Explore benefits for general practices and primary care settings
• Learn about high-impact social prescribing models and key success factors
• Understand the Link Worker role, skills, and capabilities required
• Network with peers engaged in integrated health and social care

Symposium Highlights

• Keynote presentations from global and national experts on the latest evidence and policy developments
• Briefing on the AHPC feasibility study recommendations for national implementation
• PHN case studies showcasing social prescribing in practice
• Interactive community-of-practice sessions on co-design methodologies, models of care, and data collection tools

Contribute to the PHN Social Prescribing Compendium

To strengthen sector knowledge, we are developing a PHN compendium of primary care-led social prescribing initiatives. Each PHN will soon receive a template to submit details of their social prescribing programs. This will help map the landscape, identify common success enablers, and create a practical implementation checklist.