GPs in one area to prescribe football matches as antidepressant alternative
GPs will offer patients with mild or moderate depression tickets to football matches as an alternative to antidepressants, as part of a new social prescribing option being piloted in Gloucestershire.
A total of 11 GP practices across Stroud will offer patients struggling with their mental health tickets to watch Forest Green Rovers FC when their season begins next month.
Labour MP for Stroud Dr Simon Opher, a GP who used to be NHS Gloucestershire CCG clinical lead for social prescribing, created the pilot as part of the Football on Prescription initiative with Forest Green owner Dale Vince, a prominent Labour donor.
He told Pulse that GP practices had responded positively to the idea and that the pilot could help reduce the prescribing of antidepressants.
And he said that as Football on Prescription is ‘a first of its kind’, the scheme will be ‘closely monitored’ to see if it is effective in helping combat social isolation and mild to moderate depression, ‘rather than turning straight to antidepressants’.
Dr Opher told Pulse: ‘Initially, we have delivered football on prescription leaflets to the 11 main GP practices in the Stroud constituency.
‘The response has been positive. Football may not be for everyone, but it’s important that we continue to expand our offer through social prescribing to reduce reliance on antidepressants at the first appointment.
‘Research shows that physical activity improves mental and physical health. We also know that social isolation plays a major role in poor mental health—and that community, connection, and shared experiences can help people feel less alone.
‘This initiative brings those two ideas together. It’s a form of social prescription—with football as the medicine.’
It is the latest initiative from Dr Opher who is a ‘pioneer of social prescribing’, according the Beyond Pills All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) he chairs.
Dr Opher has previously used artists in his GP surgery and prescribed comedy sessions and gardening activities to patients to combat loneliness.
Roughly four out of five patients continued with their recommended activities afterwards, according to Dr Opher.
Commenting on the scheme, Mr Vince said: ‘It’s aimed at everyone struggling with their mental health, but especially men, who are statistically the hardest to reach. The leading cause of death in men under 50 is now suicide—and loneliness is often a key factor.
‘If a Saturday afternoon at a football match can help someone feel more connected and less alone, then that’s a powerful first step.’
Earlier this year, RCGP chair Kamila Hawthorne told Pulse about the importance of ‘non-medical interventions’ such as social prescribing which ‘positively impact the health of our patients and reduce the need for medication’.
In 2023, a Government report warned of patients being referred to green social prescribing initiatives whose health problems were too complex and required more specialised support.
Dr Opher has previously written for Pulse on the disintegration of the GP role in out-of-hours services, and how the profession could take back control.
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READERS' COMMENTS [3]
Please note, only GPs are permitted to add comments to articles
I hate football. I never even watched a single match in The World Cup. Very presumptive title for a trophy that doesn’t even look like a cup anyway. I’m depressed just at the thought of this article. I’m sticking with amitriptyline.
Dale Vince funds Labour.
Labour further expands the “green” subsidies that have made Dale a multimillionaire.
Purely coincidence.
In my view: Non medical ‘prescriptions’ entirely muddy the waters by medicalising responsibility for individuals’ social and interpersonal lives.
GPs must resist being cast as the conduit to social and non medical interventions. Not least the opportunity cost to GP being the default provider and contact point for everything.
The conduit soon becomes the gatekeeper, being a required step and thus barrier to accessing social activities funded by the taxpayer, and creating a dependency rather than empowering self directed pursuits that would better de-medicalise social issues.
We should not be casting it as “GP gives antidepressants vs GP does something non medical for you”, but rather emphasise the many and varied ways a patient can pursue non medicalisation such that a GP may not need to be involved at all.