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Understanding the role of social prescribing link workers in primary care

Seminar

Event date
Monday 13 April 2026, 1pm to 2pm
Location
In-person and online
ENV/105A & ENV/105B, Environment Building, Campus West, University of York (Map)
Audience
Open to staff, students
Admission
Free admission, booking required

Event details

We are delighted to welcome Dr Stephanie Tierney, an expert in realist evaluation methods from the University of Oxford to present her research on social prescribing link workers (see blurb below). Stephanie will be presenting on campus on Monday 13th April 1-2pm (with the option to speak with her after until 2:30pm) in ENV/105A & ENV/105B Lecture Room or you can join via Zoom.

Please email ruth.naughton-doe@york.ac.uk to confirm your place and for the Zoom invite.

Understanding the role of social prescribing link workers in primary care

Dr Stephanie Tierney, Associate Professor, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford

Social prescribing link workers have become an established part of primary care in England in recent years. However, understanding of how this role works, for whom, why and in what circumstances is limited. This presentation will describe findings from a realist evaluation on the role of link workers in primary care. Details of this research can be found on the project website.

About the speaker

Dr Stephanie Tierney

Stephanie is a health services researcher with an interest in long-term conditions, delivery of services and patients' experiences of care. They have completed work (reviews, qualitative research and mixed methods studies) on a range of health-related topics, including: understanding compassionate care, living with cystic fibrosis, working with patients who have diabetes, interventions for children with a cleft lip/palate, experiencing anorexia nervosa, managing heart failure, improving hospital discharge, supporting people caring for someone with dementia. 

Their current research focuses on social prescribing and how it can help to address consequences stemming from the wider determinants of health. Stephanie has conducted projects on the link worker role (who connect people to community assets and services), and on the contribution of the cultural sector to social prescribing (funded by NIHR and UKRI respectively).