A Bury woman has spoken about the devastating impact loneliness had on her life after the death of her husband, as new figures show more than a third of referrals to social prescribing services in the borough are linked to loneliness.
Anne Strong said she became isolated and housebound after losing her husband Graham, whom she had been married to for more than 30 years.
She said, "When my husband died, I got into bed and stayed there. I didn't want to wake up. I didn't leave the house. I was heart broken, angry and lonely."
Anne said grief left her struggling to cope with daily life and affected both her physical and mental health.
"I was married to Graham for more than 30 years. He was the love of my life. When he died everything felt pointless and the loneliness was overwhelming."
She added, "I really struggled with my grief and felt angry and scared. My diabetes was out of control and I couldn't face anyone. I just hid away. My husband always handled everything, so I had no idea how to cope with day to day life."
Figures cited by Bury GP Federation show that loneliness accounted for 34 per cent of referrals to the borough's social prescribing team during 2025 and 2026.
Social prescribing supports people with social, practical and emotional issues that affect their health and wellbeing. Patients can be connected with local groups, activities and services to help tackle problems such as loneliness, bereavement, anxiety, debt and housing difficulties.
Anne was referred to social prescriber Rebecca Martin, who worked with her over several months and helped her access community activities, housing support, occupational therapy and wellbeing courses.
A year later, Anne said her life had changed significantly.
"People cannot believe the change in me. Rebecca helped me face the world again."
Rebecca Martin said Anne's growing confidence and independence had brought improvements to both her health and wellbeing.
"Anne's now a regular at weekly events and activities, she has made friends, lost weight and is better able to control her diabetes. It's great to see her smile again."
According to Bury GP Federation, more than 5,850 patients accessed social prescribing support across the borough between April 2024 and March 2025.
Ben Shafar said loneliness can have a serious impact on health.
He said, "Loneliness is brutal and can have a significant impact on a patient's health and wellbeing. GPs can't cure everything with tablets and social prescribing's holistic approach is making a real difference to peoples' lives."
Mark Beesley said the figures demonstrated the scale of the issue locally.
Anne said she still misses her husband every day but now feels able to look forward.
"Obviously I miss my husband every day, but instead of feeling overwhelmed by grief and loneliness, I now have reason to get up, somewhere to go and people to meet.
"I've lost weight, feel healthier, can do my own shopping and use public transport to access different groups. I think Graham would be very proud."
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