Open Evidence: Scaling Social Prescribing for Global Impact
By Gareth Presch | CEO, World Health Innovation Summit, CEO, Global Social Prescribing Alliance
In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and digital transformation, we must not lose sight of the one thing that defines real progress in health and wellbeing: evidence.
Not the kind buried in reports or locked in academic journals—but the kind that is open, shared, and acted upon. What we call open evidence.
At the World Health Innovation Summit (WHIS), we believe knowledge is only powerful when it’s accessible—not just to policymakers or clinicians, but to teachers, carers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.
Through an open evidence ecosystem, social prescribing, championed globally by the Global Social Prescribing Alliance (GSPA), becomes more than a model for care—it becomes a movement for equity and sustainability.
“WHIS is a global vehicle for open evidence. We connect health innovations to communities, governments, and investors so they can scale what works and stop what doesn’t. Open evidence is how we build trust, and trust is the foundation of healthy societies.” — *Gareth Presch, Founder and CEO, World Health Innovation Summit, CEO, Global Social Prescribing Alliance *
💡 From Algorithms to Action: The WHIS Opportunity
The recent Forbes article titled “This AI Founder Became A Billionaire By Building ChatGPT For Doctors” highlights how intelligent systems are reshaping medical practice.
But as remarkable as AI is, its value depends on the quality, inclusiveness, and openness of the data it’s trained on.
This is where WHIS and the GSPA step in—not to compete with technology, but to humanise it.
Through WHIS services such as:
- 🧒** WHISKid**s (schools & young people)
- 💼** WHISatWor**k (employee wellbeing)
- 👵** WHISSenior**s (healthy ageing & loneliness)
- 🌱** WHISGree**n (climate, energy, and community health) …we’re building a real-time evidence base of what works, across cities, sectors, and cultures.
Whether it’s a music programme for mental health in Newcastle or nature-based prescribing in Lagos, WHIS ensures those stories and results are visible, measurable, and globally shareable through our federated platform.
👩⚕️ Supporting Clinicians Through Open Evidence
As technology transforms diagnostics, doctors and nurses face increasing pressure, rising complexity, burnout, and social need. AI can help with symptoms, but it can’t offer community connection, housing support, or purpose.
That’s where WHIS makes the difference.
Through social prescribing and our GSPA partnerships, WHIS enables clinicians to:
- 🔄 Refer patients to trusted community services (housing, exercise, mental health, financial advice)
- 📊 Track outcomes via interoperable systems and data tools
- 🧠 Access a global evidence base of proven solutions
- 🤝 Work alongside Link Workers who support patients beyond the clinic walls Rather than carrying the weight of health inequalities alone, healthcare professionals are empowered with a wider team, real-time evidence, and global best practice—turning open data into everyday care.
🌍 Why It Matters Now
Governments are under pressure to prevent disease, reduce inequalities, and deliver value. Investors are seeking sustainable, impact-driven opportunities. Communities want to co-design solutions that reflect their realities.
This is WHIS’s opportunity to lead:
✅ Standardising social prescribing data through GSPA with national systems ✅ Opening funding channels through green transition finance & impact bonds ✅ Enabling cities to scale successful programmes aligned with the UN SDGs ✅ Delivering a £36 return for every £1 invested in social prescribing
🎓** Investing in People: Global Social Prescribing Alliance (GSPA’s) Roadmap for Link Worker**s
Scaling social prescribing requires more than policy, it requires people with the skills and confidence to deliver it well.
That’s why Global Social Prescribing Alliance, with World Health Innovation Summit, has created a Training & Development Roadmap for Link Workers, focused on:
- 🧭 Core competencies in person-centred, community-based care
- 🧠 Cultural sensitivity and trauma-informed approaches
- 📲 Evidence capture and digital tools
- 🌍 Leadership and advocacy for system change This roadmap ensures global consistency with local flexibility, empowering Link Workers from Belfast to Bangalore to deliver care that works.
🔍 The Road Ahead
Open evidence isn’t just a principle, it’s a pathway.
In 2025–2026, WHIS will convene health roundtables and innovation festivals in cities around the world, from Rome to Manchester to Helsinki, gathering insights, data, and lived experience to shape future policy and investment.
With GSPA and our partners, we’re building a living, global library of human-centred innovation. Not just for clinicians, but for everyone.
Because health isn’t just about hospitals, it’s about people, purpose, and possibility.
✅ Let’s build the future of health, together, openly.
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