A northeast man who suffered mental health issues for several years has praised a social prescribing service for providing a lifeline to him.
Ian Duncan, 62, was referred to The James Cook University Hospital’s cardiology unit from his GP after experiencing chest pains in June 2025.
During his medical assessment, he was informed that he showed signs of a historic heart attack, which caused concern to Ian, as he was also battling years of deteriorating mental health.
As a result, he was further referred to the cardiology unit’s own social prescribing service, which was established following the success of social prescribers in primary care models nationally and their role in linking people to their community.
This includes helping them access community activities that promote better health and wellbeing while improving their quality of life.
As part of this, Ian was seen by Jane Cousins, a social prescriber who works within the cardiology unit, to offer him guidance and support whilst signposting to further services that would improve his mental health.
Ian said:
“My mental health problems have always been a case of ignoring them and hoping they would go away. I was functioning outwardly as a ‘normal’ person but was mentally exhausted and suffering, what I think was anxiety and OCD.”
After taking into account Ian’s history and mental health, Jane provided the Redcar resident with vital, non-medical support tailored to his individual wellbeing goals.
This included connecting him with local community networks, introducing him to a mental health support worker and a referral to Everyone Active – where he has started attending the gym and swimming.
He added: “The activity referral has been brilliant for both my physical and mental wellbeing.”
Jane, who has so far seen more than 100 patients since June 2025 said: “It was a pleasure to be part of Ian’s journey with social prescribing and I am so glad that my link to support services has impacted Ian positively, where others have not been successful in the past.
“By completing a full assessment of Ian’s needs and then identifying ‘what mattered to him’ and me giving impartial advice and guidance, Ian was fully in control of all the choices being made and I was there to advise and guide him.”
Ian, who is regularly working out and now feels better equipped to deal with his mental health problems, added:
“Please don’t ignore medical and mental health concerns as I did. The help is there. If it hadn’t been for the service and Jane, I would probably have carried on trying to deal with things myself and getting nowhere. The service has been a lifeline for me and long may it continue for the benefit of others.”
Michelle Stamp, consultant in public health, said: “Social prescribing is a vital preventative approach that reduces pressure on the NHS, by addressing the social determinants of health such as housing, finance, fuel poverty, social isolation and mental wellbeing.
“It focuses on what matters to the patient and empowers them to manage the social, economic and environmental factors that may be driving ill health. Since the service launched in June 2025 in cardiology, early evaluation in the first year is already starting to demonstrate positive outcomes for patients, whilst bridging the gap between health and care and the voluntary and community sector and shifting care into the community.”