DOCTORS in Bradford could start prescribing community support to their patients more often.

So-called 'social prescribing', where patients are referred to voluntary bodies or community groups for help, is already used in the district.

But bosses at the Bradford Districts Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will today hear about how this could be boosted further.

Projects which people could be referred to include local mental health organisation Sharing Voices, or the Healthy Homes project, which promotes community care after a hospital stay.

Patient advocate Kay Wright , who will be speaking to the CCG's governing body about the benefits of social prescribing, said: "It’s really important to be able to help professionals working in, for example, local GP practices, see what support sits around their patients and help them to access it.

"This enables practices to get better outcomes for their patients than just treating medically and prescribing medication."

Colin Philpott, lay member for patient and public involvement at the CCG, said social prescribing could make a huge difference to how someone copes with an illness at home.