A FUTURE where rural GPs prescribe community activities as much as medicines is to be explored at a major national conference on loneliness in rural communities coming to the county.

Social prescribing, where a doctor, working with parish churches and  parish councils, prescribes a local activity to increase a sense of wellbeing, will feature as a concept at the “Combating Loneliness’ event is being hosted by the Diocese of Hereford at Hereford Shirehall on Saturday 31st January.

“The aim of the Conference is to look at how local communities and groups from all sorts of backgrounds can work together, often at a very local level, to help reduce isolation for people living in rural areas,” said Wendy Coombey, Diocesan community partnership and development officer.

“Loneliness can affect people from all age ranges and different backgrounds.  And there are some simple ways that local communities can work together to put in place simple actions and activities, for example, neighbourhood schemes, parish nursing, lunch clubs, knit and natter groups,” she said.

Findings from Healthwatch Herefordshire show that while most people in the county (60 per cent) have contact  with family, friends or neighbours most days of the week, for one in twenty contact is once a month or less.

Healthwatch cited a similar proportion (five per cent) as saying they feel lonely most or all the time - regardless of age or where they live in the county.

The highest proportions of lone pensioner households are found in Hereford and the market towns.

While Herefordshire has been compared to other rural counties, such as Devon, Cornwall, Cumbria, the county’s population is said to be much sparser, contributing to greater potential for isolation.

Leading speakers at conference include Dr Stuart Burgess, former Chair of the Commission for Rural Communities, Tracey Robbins from the Joseph Rowntree Trust and Dr Alison Gray, a leading Consultant Psychiatrist specialising in the treatment of loneliness through 2-Gether. There are also speakers from Age UK, Reps from Foxley Group Parish Council and Mansel Lacy Parochial Church Council, Dr Simon Lennane a Ross GP and Dr Andy Watts, Chair of Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

For more go to  www.hereford.anglican.org