Every GP practice in Scotland should have a community links worker who can help patients with benefits issues and other non-medical problems, a charity representing health and social care organisations has said.

A manifesto for health and social care – being unveiled by the Alliance today at its digital gathering – calls for a range of radical changes, including a new right to rehab, an independent older people’s commissioner and full incorporation of housing into health and social care integration.

As well as a call for an independent inquiry into the impact of covid-19 on the health and social care system, the Alliance, which has nearly 3,000 members, says that social care charging should be paused during the pandemic and ultimately phased out by the end of 2021.

A total of 31 practices in Glasgow currently have links workers who can put patients in touch with community services and charities for help with non-medical issues.

The manifesto states: “A high proportion of consultations are driven largely or primarily by experiences of social adversity, especially poverty and financial problems.

“Deep End GPs felt that they were often unable to respond effectively to these issues due to lack of time and difficulties accessing community-led services – which they knew would benefit their patients – and expressed frustration at the barriers that prevented them from supporting people in this way.”

A 2020 report from the Deep End GP Group, which brings together doctors in the most deprived areas, revealed that only half of the least well-off areas have access to these workers.

The manifesto says this “highly successful” model should be expanded and all GP practices should get links workers, starting with those in the 100 most deprived areas.

In all, 21 recommendations are made in the ‘Equally Valued’ manifesto across welfare, social care and rehabilitation, social security, human rights within Scots Law and putting health and social care at the centre of climate change policy.

Read more: Links workers "stop people falling through the cracks"

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