Description: A health facilitator is a dedicated health professional who performs a similar role to a social prescribing practitioner. The health facilitator is usually based in the GP practice and sees referred patients to help identify their needs and navigate the services available to them. For example, they may signpost to community assets or promote self-help groups or courses for specific issues. Unlike a social prescribing practitioner, care navigator or health trainer they also provide advice on exercise, nutrition, diet, weight management, managing chronic pain, and living with depression, and anxiety.
Health trainers perform a similar role to health facilitators, working with GP practices to link patients to specific health-based interventions within the community and assist in their health progression. Health trainers do not have to be health professionals and do not give specific advice on areas of health. They may facilitate healthy, sustainable behaviour change by challenging and supporting a client to identify their values, develop their goals, and transform these goals into action.
Health facilitators and health trainers may refer the individual onwards to a community-based social prescribing practitioner who is better able to connect them to appropriate community assets.
Alternative Terms: health advisor, health broker, health coach, health connector, health mentor, health trainer, health and well-being coach, wellness coach
Connected Terms: Active signposting, building the practice, care navigator, community assets, Community & Voluntary Sector Organisations, exercise referral, nature-based interventions, practice-managed schemes, referral, social prescribing pathway, social prescribing practitioner, statutory services.
Please tell us your preferred term of use
You must be logged in to post a comment.