LOCAL NHS chiefs are piloting a new type of zero medicine prescribing.

Under the initiative being funded by NHS Bradford City and NHS Bradford Districts clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), GP surgeries will help patients with social or emotional non-medical needs to get help from services in the community.

The new Community Connector service will be delivered by a partnership of charities, led by Shipley-based HALE (Health Action Local Engagement), helping people get involved in community groups and activities to combat loneliness and improve health and wellbeing.

Similar, smaller projects have run in Bradford for several years but these have been GP practice-based initiatives or schemes run by the voluntary and community sector, this is the first time the CCGs have invested in a Bradford-wide service.

More than 26 GP practices have expressed an interest in getting involved in the free service which will run for one year.

Health professionals such as GPs will make a referral and a community connector from the scheme will then work with each patient to find local support that meets their needs from walking groups and dance classes, to healthy cooking classes to getting debt, domestic violence and housing advice.

Helen Parsons, Community Connector coordinator at HALE, said: “It's fantastic that we will be supporting people who will benefit from using wider community resources. Practices will also benefit from seeing fewer patients with minor ailments, loneliness or other queries that the Community Connector team can help with instead.”

The partners involved in the project include Carers' Resource, Thornbury Centre, Healthy Lifestyles, Thorpe Edge Advice Centre and Equality for All. Patients who access the service will be offered up to six sessions at an appropriate service and given support to continue to make long-term changes in their lives.