Homes and health in the Outer Hebrides: A social prescribing framework for addressing fuel poverty and the social determinants of health

Lawler, C; Sherriff, A; Brown, P; Butler, D; Gibbons, AR; Martin, PB; Probin, Margaret

Abstract

Health services are increasingly being reshaped with reference to addressing social determinants of health (SDoH), with social prescribing a prominent example. We examine a project in the Outer Hebrides that reshaped and widened the local health service, framing fuel poverty as a social determinant of health and mobilising a cross-sector support pathway to make meaningful and substantive improvements to islanders' living conditions. The ‘Moving Together’ project provided support to almost 200 households, ranging from giving advice on home energy, finances and other services, to improving the energy efficiency of their homes. In so doing, the project represents an expansion of the remit of social prescribing, in comparison with the majority of services currently provided under this banner, and can be seen as a more systemic approach that engages with the underlying conditions of a population's health. We present a framework through which to understand and shape initiatives to address fuel poverty through a social prescribing approach.

Citation

Lawler, C., Sherriff, A., Brown, P., Butler, D., Gibbons, A., Martin, P., & Probin, M. (in press). Homes and health in the Outer Hebrides: A social prescribing framework for addressing fuel poverty and the social determinants of health. Health and Place, 79, 102926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102926

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 3, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Nov 25, 2022
• Deposit Date: Feb 13, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 26, 2024
• Journal: Health & Place
• Print ISSN: 1353-8292
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Volume: 79
• Pages: 102926
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102926
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102926