Using WELLBYs to demonstrate the social value of social prescribing at a national level: evidence from green social prescribing in England

Social prescribing is a health policy initiative that aims to create closer links between health services and community activities. Despite its rapid adoption there are concerns about efficacy and value for money. We used a WELLBY (Wellbeing Adjusted Life Year) approach to identify the social value created through a national mental health-focussed green social prescribing (GSP) programme in England (2021-23). We found that GSP can lead to significant wellbeing benefits for people experiencing mental ill-health, with a social return on investment (SROI) of between £2.38-£5.90. However, we argue that the WELLBY approach should not be used uncritically. In our study WELLBYs proved to be an effective social value measure for low to mid cost GSP pathways where the target beneficiaries are likely to have mild to moderate mental health needs. For higher cost pathways providing targeted support for people with severe mental health needs the WELLBY was less effective and clinical measures of value may be more appropriate.