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• In England, social prescribing schemes have been (re-)introduced as a policy tool for reducing pressure on GPs and promoted as a solution for health service-budgeting constrains; they consist of link workers integrated into primary care structures, which support people in managing their health conditions and accessing resources in the community thus addressing the social determinants of health.
• A large number of studies have investigated the impact on health and wellbeing outcomes as well as on healthcare resources; findings suggest that schemes have the potential to change health behaviour and outcomes; they can also enhance people’s self-confidence. However, not everyone accesses or benefits from social prescribing schemes; and those most vulnerable are less likely to benefit.
• There is some evidence to suggest that social prescribing schemes can reduce demand on primary and secondary care service and offset the costs of the intervention.
• Main gaps in evidence include: their relative cost-effectiveness compared to other interventions that seek to address the social determinants of health; how social prescribing schemes need to be designed and implemented in order to achieve good value for money, and which population they should target; the wider community impacts of schemes.