Reading Well Books on Prescription
Commissioning Guide
Public Library Health and Well-being Services
Public libraries play an important role in the health and well-being of local communities. They are
ideally placed to deliver early intervention and prevention services that address local health
inequalities and deliver better health outcomes as part of the new commissioning landscape.
Libraries provide:

A network of local community hubs

Community outreach supporting vulnerable people

Staff with local knowledge and expertise in information management and community
engagement

Assisted online access to health information
They enable local communities to help themselves through:

Health and care information services

Referral and signposting

Health promotion activity

National reading programmes promoting learning literacy and well-being

Social and recreational opportunities e.g. reading groups

Volunteering and community engagement opportunities
What is Reading Well Books on Prescription?
The Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme is an
exciting new public library health and well-being service
development. It provides self-help reading for adults based
on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for a range of
common health conditions including anxiety, depression,
phobias and some eating disorders.
“I have found this book
invaluable in helping to give
concrete steps to dealing with
what can be a crippling and
sensitive issue.”
Service user on
Overcoming Binge Eating by
Christopher Fairburn
It is an early intervention treatment at step one in the
Stepped Care Model for mental health and Improving Access
to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) provision. It can be used as a stand-alone treatment, alongside
medication and/or psychological treatments and as a key element in a supported programme.
Books on Prescription was first developed in Cardiff by Professor Neil Frude, a clinical psychologist.
There has been a national scheme in Wales since 2005. Reading Well Books on Prescription will be
launched in June 2013, as the first national scheme for England.
What does Reading Well Books on Prescription deliver?

A consistent approach delivered through all English public libraries supported by national and
local health partnerships

Quality assured resources including a national, expert-endorsed, self-help booklist of 30 self-help
titles in addition to user and prescriber guides and promotional posters.

Signposting via the user guide to other well-being services in libraries such as readerrecommended mood-boosting novels and poetry, and social reading activity such as reading
groups.
“I am delighted to have been involved in this exciting project to bring help to the millions of people
who suffer from anxiety and depression.”
“I am sure GPs and other health professionals will value the Reading Well Books on Prescription
Scheme. Cognitive behavioural therapy can be a highly effective talking treatment for people with
common mental health problems. The core list of 30 CBT-based self-help books will be a real boost
to the treatments currently available. It is not designed to replace existing care, but provide added
value and guidance.”
Paul Blenkiron, Consultant in Adult Psychiatry in York and NICE Fellow
How does Reading Well Books on Prescription work?
Books on Prescription user guide
Books can be recommended by health professionals and borrowed from
the local library service free of charge.
GPs may recommend self-help reading to people they might not yet refer
to IAPT services, or to use whilst waiting for treatment.
Other mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists,
counsellors, mental health nurses or therapists may also recommend
books as part of treatment.
Some people may use the library book collections independently as a first
step in seeking help.
Evidence base
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (NICE) recommend CBTbased self-help approaches as a first step in the treatment of common disorders including
depression, anxiety, phobias and some eating disorders.
There is growing evidence that self-help based on the
principles of CBT is effective. The evidence suggests
that guided self-help is more effective than unguided
self-help but that books alone can also be useful as
they contain techniques of proven effectiveness used
by professionals and are a springboard into further
professional help.
For a review of the evidence base go to
http://readingagency.org.uk/readingwell
“I think the Reading Well Books on
Prescription scheme is one of best ideas
I've heard in ages! I have a small number
of books that I lend out on a variety of
subjects and always get positive responses
from patients who borrow them. The list
of books available on your scheme is
great, and something I know I will use”
Dr Catherine Harrison, GP Tuxford,
Nottinghamshire
Working in partnership
Reading Well Books on Prescription is delivered through a partnership between The Reading
Agency and the Society of Chief Librarians. Health partners supporting the scheme include:

Department of Health – Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT)

Royal College of General Practitioners

Royal College of Psychiatrists

Royal College of Nursing

British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

The British Psychological Society

Mind
Reading Well Books on Prescription is co-ordinated locally by the relevant library authority
working with GPs, IAPT teams and other mental health service providers.
Commissioning the Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme
Commissioners can support delivery in the following ways:

The purchase of library self-help book collections

The purchase of Reading Well Books on Prescription user
guides, guides for health professionals and promotional
posters

Support with the distribution of materials to prescribers and
with the building of prescriber partnerships

Local advocacy for the scheme
“Books on Prescription is a very
useful resource to complement
talking therapies and the use of
antidepressant medication,
having peer reviewed self-help
books in local libraries is an
asset to the general community,
and the books can be used by
patients working with IAPT
practitioners.”
Dr Sue Pritchard, Shipston
Medical Centre, Warwickshire

The purchase of linked Reading Well Mood-boosting Books, a national promotion of uplifting
novels, poetry and non- fiction recommended by readers

Support for linked social and recreational reading group activity in libraries
Reading Well Books on Prescription commissioning case studies
Croydon: Libraries and IAPT working together
Croydon Library Service has run a Books on Prescription scheme since 2008. They were approached by
Croydon IAPT Psychological Therapies and Well-being Service about the Reading Well scheme as a result of
national IAPT support for the programme.
The IAPT Service is funding Reading Well self-help book collections for each of Croydon’s 13 libraries as well
as purchasing and distributing user guides, guides for professionals and posters. IAPT will also support the
purchase of linked Reading Well Mood-boosting Books collections and resources. A local launch is being
planned to coincide with the national launch in June 2013.
“Reading Well Books on Prescription delivered through public libraries is a cost-effective tool to
support well-being. We are investing in it because we can see its value both as a first step in
seeking help and as support for the work of IAPT practitioners.“
Dr Catrin McGuire, Senior Cognitive Behavioural Therapist,
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Devon: A libraries and public health local authority partnership
Devon County Council’s Director of Public Health has agreed to fund Reading Well Books on Prescription
book collections and supporting resources for all library service points, including 50 static libraries, as well
as 3 prison libraries and 8 mobiles.
“The timeliness of the programme has really worked
– to be able to have a low-cost, effective county
wide health offer in place soon after the local
authority takes on responsibility for public health is
a huge strength.”
Ciara Eastell, Chief Librarian,
Devon County Council
“I am really pleased to support Reading Well Books
on Prescription in Devon. Libraries provide
community access points for quality assured health
information and guidance that helps people
understand and manage common health
conditions. They are key partners in delivering the
local authority public health agenda.”
Dr Virginia Pearson, Director of Public Health,
Devon County Council
Further information
For further information about Reading
Well Books on Prescription and linked
programmes, please contact:
Debbie Hicks
debbie.hicks@readingagency.org.uk
www.readingagency.org.uk/readingwell
Local library service/SCL contact xxxx