The Human Impact of the Multi-Professional Workforce in Primary Care
Community Connector
Insights from patients and carers
Across England, the multi-professional workforce in primary care is taking shape. Social Prescribers, Health and Wellbeing Coaches, Occupational Therapists, Care Coordinators and more. These roles grew from the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), but for patients and carers, what matters most is simple:
Do these roles make a difference to their lives?
To find out, I interviewed 20 people with lived experience of working with multi-professional roles in Sheffield. Sixteen were patients, four were carers. Ages ranged from 20 to 95, with representation from White British, Asian and Eastern European communities. Their experiences offer an honest, grounded view of how this workforce is beginning to shape wellbeing, access, and quality of care.
What I Asked
Our aim was to understand:
How patients and carers experienced working with multi-professional roles
The types of interventions being offered
The impacts that resulted from these interventions
Although the sample was small, rich qualitative analysis revealed powerful themes, and hopeful signs.
In this blog, I use the term “multi-professional worker” instead of “ARRS role”, as this language better reflects the breadth and evolution of these roles.
Six Types of Support Emerging in Practice
The interviews revealed six categories of intervention being used in primary care:
occupation-focused approaches
health coaching
psychosocial support
mental health guidance
interventions to improve cognitive functioning
signposting to wider services
Together, these roles helped people move forward, connect, and feel seen.
Two stories bring that impact to life:
Emma: “My life is full now”
When Emma first visited her GP, she was socially isolated and struggling with her mental health. She hardly left the house.
She was referred to a Social Prescriber:
“I didn’t see anybody at all. My mum used to visit, but I didn’t go out. Now I volunteer at a social café. I help run wellbeing Wednesdays and support the menopause café once a month.”
Her Social Prescriber looked at Emma’s whole life — not just her symptoms. That opened the door to a Health and Wellbeing Coach, who supported her further:
“I’ve started badminton, Tai Chi, and volunteering at the wildlife trust and gardening group. We developed pocket allotments at two GP surgeries. We plant and do mindfulness at the same time.
My life is full now — I need more days in the week. I’m making up for lost time.”
The collaboration between roles, grounded in occupation, activity, and community connection, helped rebuild her confidence, identity and wellbeing.
Hamza: Perseverance that changed a family’s living conditions
Hamza lived in a privately rented home with severe damp, alongside his young family. His Care Coordinator didn’t treat his concerns as “non-clinical” issues. Instead, she advocated for him — pushing housing services and the landlord until the unsafe conditions were addressed.
“She just would not stop. She went everywhere until something was done to help us.”
Carpet replacement, temporary accommodation, and practical support followed.
For Hamza, that intervention wasn’t an add-on. It was health.
Emotional support when life gets heavy
Fourteen people interviewed spoke about the emotional support they’d received through these roles — from crisis support to bereavement.
One participant was navigating multiple losses when they were linked into a multi-professional team.
“I lost my mum. I lost my dog. Without these people here I wouldn’t be here — I would be six feet under.”
Others valued the encouragement, trusted relationships, and space to talk about fears, identity and change — the quieter, less visible aspects of living with long-term conditions.
The power of joined-up working
One elderly patient with multiple conditions felt overwhelmed by managing medication, appointments and daily routines. Working with both a Social Prescribing Link Worker and an Occupational Therapist helped them make sense of it all.
They were linked to exercise groups, community activities and mental health support — and began to regain control.
This is where the multi-professional workforce shines:
holistic care that acknowledges physical, emotional and social needs together.
What’s Emerging?
The data shows that multi-professional roles help unlock:
more personalised care
better access
improved continuity of support
stronger links to community resources
whole-person approaches that address daily function, identity and health
In the full report, six domains of impact and a logic model help explain how workforce skills, targeted interventions and local assets contribute to improved outcomes.
Looking Ahead: Is this the future vision of primary care?
These findings mirror the direction set out in the Fuller Stocktake, the NHS Long Term Plan, and wider personalised care policy, a shift towards prevention, community connection and psychosocial models of care.
Multi-professional practice is still evolving, and there is much more to learn. But the stories told in this evaluation suggest that these roles are already contributing something essential:
time, connection, advocacy, meaningful activity, and support to live well.
Recommendations from the Evaluation
1. Increase awareness
Many people had never heard of multi-professional roles until they were referred. Clear public messaging, patient-friendly information and visibility in surgeries and online spaces will help.
2. Clarify roles and responsibilities
Patients and staff need confidence in who does what. Role descriptions, digital information and standardised explanations can strengthen collaboration and trust.
3. Measure impact consistently
The six domains of impact from this evaluation could support a shared data tool capturing qualitative and quantitative outcomes, supporting learning, and helping evidence what works.
4. Keep investing
Embedding roles such as Social Prescribers, Health Coaches and Occupational Therapists can lead to:
reduced hospital admissions
stronger prevention
more community-based support
improved long-term condition management
Imagine group-based pain management programmes, activity-based rehabilitation, or wellbeing groups becoming standard offers in general practice.
That’s the potential we’re starting to see.
Final Thoughts
The lived experiences in this evaluation paint a hopeful picture. When these roles work collaboratively, grounded in occupation, meaningful activity, connection and person-centred care, primary care feels different.
More human.
More personalised.
More aligned with the realities of living well.
These roles aren’t an optional extra, they are shaping the future model of care.
Investing in them means investing in thriving communities, supported independence, and the everyday occupations that bring purpose and health.
To read more download the report from here: https://primarycaresheffield.org.uk/2024/08/29/understanding-the-impact-of-the-multi-professional-workforce-in-primary-care-patient-and-carer-perspectives/
References
Fuller, C. (2022). Next steps for integrating primary care: Fuller Stocktake report. https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/next-steps-for-integrating-primary-care-fuller-stocktake-report.pdf
NHS England. (2019). The NHS Long Term Plan. https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk
Sanderson, J., Kay, N., & Watts, R. (2019). Universal personalised care: implementing the comprehensive model. NHS England. https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/
