Community link workers help people find support beyond the surgery

A nurse who was off work with stress found new friends through a walking group after receiving help from a community link worker in Stirling.

Her experience appears in a new report from services covering Stirling and Clackmannanshire. Link workers give people time to discuss difficulties beyond medical symptoms, then connect them with practical help.

For the nurse, that included financial advice, food support and the walking group. She said walking had helped her mental health.

The service’s evaluation found 39% fewer primary-care visits among the clients studied after support. This covered only a fifth of its caseload; the report describes the findings as indicative, with small samples and limited longer-term follow-up.

These results cannot establish that link workers alone caused the change. But they show how everyday problems can be addressed alongside healthcare.

In participating Clackmannanshire practices, people can ask reception about an appointment or refer themselves. For someone feeling isolated, that first conversation can open a route to company and practical support.

Sources

• CTSI — new report and one client’s experience
• Community Link Worker Report 2025/26 — evaluation, sample and limitations
• CTSI — how the service works and ways to access it