We are pleased to announce that Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation (RHRF) has awarded funding to the NORTH Foundation, the charity partner of the Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD), for a new research project titled “Northern Sydney Social Prescribing for Older Adults”. The project, led by Dr Rosanne Freak-Poli at Monash University, was selected through the latest RHRF Translational Challenge Grant Round, and reflects RHRF’s ongoing commitment to supporting high-quality research that tackles the social determinants of health.
The project was awarded $665,636 to address the impact that loneliness and social isolation can have on both the physical and mental wellbeing of older adults. Dr Freak-Poli and her team are introducing a hospital-based social prescribing program for people aged over 60 with cancer, mental health conditions, cardiovascular disease or musculoskeletal disease.
The program will run in collaboration with the NSLHD, Mt Wilga Private Rehabilitation Hospital and a range of universities, and allows referrals to non-clinical services in the community like social groups, exercise classes, or volunteering opportunities that support wellbeing and connection.
Consumers are right at the heart of this project. It’s being shaped through a two-stage co-design approach that brings together people with lived experience, carers, clinicians and local council from the very beginning. Through workshops, consultations and focus groups, a wide range of voices will help surface what really matters. A dedicated co-design team of consumers, clinical leaders and researchers will then work side by side to plan and deliver solutions that are practical, relevant and grounded in real life and hospital care.
The project aims to improve quality of life and wellbeing of older adults, reduce loneliness and social isolation and prevent avoidable hospital visits. If successful, this model could be scaled across other hospitals across the Northern Sydney region, offering a new way to deliver holistic, person-centered care that goes beyond medicine.
“For our older Australians, this work is especially important,” said Anthony Schembri AM, Chief Executive of the NSLHD.”
“Embedding social prescribing into hospital care is a powerful opportunity to improve wellbeing, strengthen connections and create sustainable change that can be scaled across the system. By co-designing with consumers and community partners, we can build a model of care that goes beyond medicine.”
CEO of the NORTH Foundation, Gil Lorquet says, “This is a historic moment for the NORTH Foundation. Being entrusted with administering a grant of this significance reflects the confidence placed in our governance, capability and ability to deliver meaningful impact for our community, and highlights the strength of our partnership with the Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation.”
The project is due to commence in April 2026 and will run for 3 years. For more information please contact Jacqui Chang (she/her), Acting Manager Operations Integration, Collaborative Commissioning, Royal North Shore Hospital.
__
Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation (RHRF)
RHRF is a not-for-profit, grant giving organisation dedicated to funding high-quality research that delivers better outcomes for patients. It supports work that deepens understanding of the diseases and conditions affecting people’s lives, while strengthening the knowledge, skills and development of those who care for them. RHRF prioritises research that addresses the social determinants of health, tackles inequities in healthcare and patient outcomes, and fosters meaningful collaboration across public and private healthcare settings.
NORTH Foundation
The NORTH Foundation is the charity partner of the Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD), raising vital funds that fuel exceptional patient care, groundbreaking research and innovation across the district and beyond. By collaborating with clinicians and donors we are bridging the gap between what is needed today and what is possible tomorrow.
