Welfare advice in general practice: a resource for community nurses

Recent policy guidance has recommended that community nurses address public health issues, suggesting that they play a role in assessing and addressing poverty, and ensuring patients claim the welfare benefits to which they are entitled. This article reports an evaluation of a welfare advice service catering for 30 general practices in inner-city Bradford. Community nurses, along with other members of the primary care team, were able to refer patients for advice about welfare issues, including benefits, housing, debt etc. A retrospective study was conducted of all patients referred for advice during 24 months of the project. The advice workers saw 2484 patients, dealt with over 4000 welfare advice issues, and raised over pounds 2 million in welfare benefit claims for patients, primarily through disability-related benefits. The contribution of community nurses is examined in terms of referrals and outcomes for patients.