Social determinants of health significantly influence patients’ overall health and wellbeing. General practitioners (GPs) often lack the time and resources to address the psychosocial or systemic issues affecting patients’ health. Social work is well-positioned to enhance population health and wellbeing by considering the complex factors impacting patients with its focus on social justice, human rights and holistic well-being. However, few social workers currently provide services in GP clinics in Australia. This presentation outlines the context of social work in GP settings and shares interim findings from Australian research on placing social workers in these environments.
The project aimed to investigate the benefits and challenges of integrating social work practice into GP clinics. GP clinics in North Queensland were supported to hire and integrate social workers and social work students into their practices. Data Collection included recorded social work interventions, applied a pre- and post-wellbeing scale, and gathered patient feedback. An evaluation survey was conducted at the end of the 1-year implementation phase.
The findings highlight the value of social work in regard to
 Holistic Health Approaches: Integrating social workers into GP clinics addresses the complex psychosocial and systemic issues affecting patients’ health, leading to more comprehensive care;
 Positive Interventions: Social workers provide valuable services such as advocacy, emotional support, and goal setting, which are crucial for managing chronic health, aging, mental health, families, and disability;
 Collaborative Benefits: A collaborative approach between social work and general practice can significantly improve health outcomes, although more evidence is needed to support these interventions’ effectiveness in GP settings;
Recommendations include the development of sustainable funding pathways. Insights into the broad range of health areas and interventions that social workers engage in within GP settings will be crucial for developing sustainable pathways for social work practice in these environments.