Peer support in healthcare encompasses a range of approaches through which people with similar long-term conditions or health experiences support each other in order to better understand the condition and aid recovery or self-management.

We are sharing resources in this area below, please send suggestions to: [email protected].

Peers for Progress

• Peer Support in Health: Evidence to Action report
  This report examines how peer support programs improve health outcomes by boosting outreach and education for disease prevention and management. The report is a guide for health care organizations developing peer support programs that will help people with health problems live healthier lives.

National Voices

Peer Support: What Is It and Does It Work? A summary of the evidence
This report is evidence that peer support can help people feel more knowledgeable, confident and happy, and less isolated and alone. The report also shows that there is a limited understanding of the different forms of peer support, how best to deliver support and the forms of training and infrastructure to get the most impact from it; so, further evidence is needed to fully understand the impact it has on the health service and individuals with long-term health conditions.

Nesta

• People Helping People: Peer support that changes lives
  This report from Nesta explores how peer support can help people focus on their assets and abilities, rejecting the standard illness model in favour of a focus on self-efficacy and hope.

Mental Health Foundation

• Peer Support in Long Term Conditions: The Basics
  This document was produced by the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) and partners to support the implementation of peer support services for people with long-term conditions throughout Scotland.​

Health Innovation Network

• Dementia Peer Support Resource Pack
  The Health Innovation Network worked with The Alzheimer's Society, Innovations in Dementia and community groups across South Londonto produce a Resource Pack to promote the importance of peer support opportunities for people with dementia.