A NEW project where social advice and information can be found at GP surgeries has recently been launched, including one in Lifton.

Local leading advice charities, Citizens Advice Torridge and Citizens Advice South Hams, North, Mid and West Devon, are delighted to announce the new one-year pilot project in West Devon which will be offering social support to patients.

The one in Lifton started this week and is open every Tuesday from 9.30am till midday with three appointment slots available.

However to be eligible for an appointment, you must be registered to the surgery.

Dr Michael Sparrow is one of the GP’s at Lifton, and is very supportive of the scheme.

He said: “Although we’ve never tried this before there should be a mutual benefit for all.

“People who are suffering from social issues can come in and receive specialist support from the Citizen Advice lady while it also helps us at the practice as we can focus on what we’re good at as doctors’ and lightens our workload a bit, instead of trying to act as social workers which isn’t really our strength.”

Reports from areas of the UK suggest that it is not uncommon for around one in four GP patient appointments to be due to social rather than medical causes. Poverty, money, relationship, domestic violence and social isolation issues are just a few of the underlying factors that can lead to increased stress and anxiety in patients.

This project aims to help tackle underlying factors affecting patient wellbeing. By intervening at this early stage, this service will help to reduce patients from reaching a more critical stage of crisis, therefore reducing the demand on GP and NHS services.

West Devon Borough Council has funded the project, which means that participating three surgeries in Lifton, Yelverton and Chagford, can now offer patients an appointment with an advice specialist in the surgery.

West Devon Borough Council’s Cllr Lois Samuel, lead member for health and wellbeing, said: “In this fantastic project, medical and non-medical staff can arrange a direct appointment with a specialist Citizens Advice advisor which will be held at the surgery. This should really help reduce doctor appointments and give patients key support and information at an early stage, before problems impact on their health.”

During the advice session, the advisor will use Citizens Advice’s diagnostic tools to help the client explore, identify and start to resolve problems that are causing stress and anxiety.

Experienced advisors will integrate advice with recommendations for social activities to ensure the wider needs of patients are met.

If this project proves to be a success, then there are plans to extend it across Devon.