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Practice Manager
Please find enclosed promotional materials for the first national Books on Prescription scheme for England
delivered by The Reading Agency in partnership with the Society of Chief Librarians. Reading Well Books on
Prescription provides self-help reading using cognitive behavioural therapy for a range of common mental
health conditions including anxiety and depression. Enclosed are:

Patient information leaflets

Prescriber information leaflets

Posters
Please share this material with General Practitioners within the practice. For additional copies of posters
and leaflets contact xxx
To download supporting resources including a prescriber toolkit, book review guide and FAQs about
Reading Well Books on Prescription go to www.readingagency.org.uk/readingwell. An online version of the
prescription form is also available.
How to prescribe a book
Reading Well Books on Prescription works within NICE guidelines. It is an early intervention treatment and
part of ‘watchful waiting’ at step one in the Stepped Care model for mental health and Improving Access to
Psychological Therapies Programme (IAPT). General Practitioners can recommend self-help reading to
people they might not yet refer to IAPT services, or to use while waiting for treatment. Books can also be
recommended by other health professionals including mental health nurses, counsellors and IAPT
psychological well-being practitioners.
Reading Well Books on Prescription is not designed to replace existing care but to provide added value and
guidance. It can be used as a standalone treatment, alongside medication and psychological approaches
and as a key element in a supported therapeutic programme.
Where the General Practitioner feels that Reading Well Books on Prescription could be effective, the
prescriber should discuss the options available to the patients and consider which book(s) may be of
interest. The relevant box should then be ticked on the reading list in the patient information leaflet or
using the online prescription form.
Where are the books available?
The books are available in all xxxxx libraries. The scheme is free to use and books can be loaned for up to xx
weeks. There is a free reservation facility of titles as well as easy library joining for people with a
recommendation form signed by a prescriber. The user guide also tells people about other well being
schemes services offered by libraries including mood boosting novels and poetry and reading groups.
For a full list of local libraries participating in the scheme go to xxxxxx
Recording that a prescription has been issued
Use of the scheme and the book recommendation should be noted in the patient’s notes and followed up
as part of on-going treatment. We are exploring a national Read code system and will make further
information available shortly.
If you have any questions regarding the scheme contact [name of contact]
Contact The Reading Agency at readingwell@readingagency.org.uk