FIVE East Lancashire GP practices will be celebrating their use of non-medical interventions today.

The will highlight how their doctors use services such as debt counselling, support groups and walking clubs, to community cooking classes and one-to-one peer mentoring to help improve their patients' wellbeing.

The events mark National Social Prescribing Day and celebrate a £3million investment over five years in the ‘Prescription for Wellbeing’.

The scheme has been organised by the NHS' East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group and the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, and Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Community Voluntary Service (CVS) organisations.

Today’s events will be at these practices: the Thursby Surgery, in Browhead Road, Burnley, from 9am to 1pm; the Burnley Group Practice in the town’s St Peters Centre from 9.30am to 11.30am; The CHAI Centre, Daneshouse, Burnley from 9.30am to 11.30am; the CVS Office in Market Square, Nelson from 10am to noon; and Colne Health Centre from 9.30am to 11.30am. There will be a drop in afternoon at Accrington Town Hall.

Burnley GP Dr Yas Naheed said: “I have found social prescribing to be a really useful addition to the options available to me.

"For some it is often better to be referred to a community activity where they can build their confidence or feel less isolated rather than receive prescription medication."