Nurturing connectivity between the third sector and health sector: the effectiveness of a regional third-sector referral coordinator team in north Cumbria

There is a growing demand for services that support patient referrals into non-medical, community or social health programmes, and ultimately go beyond ‘signposting’ or ‘linking’. In north Cumbria, the third-sector referral coordinator (TSRC) team is an example of such a service. This article presents the findings from an evaluation of the TSRC team, which utilises a person-centred approach to achieve a holistic care model, and promotes greater networking between the third and health sectors.