How to Refer Patients to Qi Gong: A Practical Guide for GPs and Social Prescribing Link Workers

How to Refer Patients to Qi Gong: A Practical Guide for GPs and Social Prescribing Link Workers

Qi Gong At The Bright Beings Academy
November 24, 2025•9 min read

When you add Qi Gong to your social prescribing offer, you want a clear, safe and repeatable process. Something that works whether you’re a time-pressed GP, a link worker with a big caseload, or a wellbeing lead designing a new pathway.

This guide gives you exactly that – a step-by-step way to decide who Qi Gong suits, how to explain it in plain English, which Bright Beings Academy option to choose, and how to monitor outcomes without creating extra admin.

If you want the wider context first, you can also read:

1. When is Qi Gong a good fit?

Qi Gong is not for every single referral – but it is a strong option when you see people who:

  • Struggle with long-term pain, arthritis, stiffness or fibromyalgia

  • Live with breathlessness, COPD, cardiovascular issues or deconditioning

  • Feel anxious, burnt out, low or “stuck in their head”

  • Are lonely, isolated or lacking confidence to join standard classes

  • Are too intimidated by gyms, fast classes or busy environments

Qi Gong works particularly well when someone:

  • Wants to move, but needs a gentle, low-impact start

  • Would benefit from calmer nervous-system states as well as physical exercise

  • Is open to trying a class that blends movement, breath and relaxation

For the evidence behind this, you can share:

2. Quick triage: is Qi Gong suitable and safe?

Before referring, run through three simple checks.

A. Mobility and energy

Qi Gong at Bright Beings Academy is usually suitable if the person can:

  • Sit safely in a chair

  • Stand with or without support (stick, frame, rail)

  • Walk short distances, even slowly

If someone is completely bed-bound or unable to sit upright, Qi Gong is unlikely to be appropriate at this stage.

B. Medical stability

Qi Gong is gentle, but you still want basic stability:

  • Blood pressure reasonably controlled

  • Heart conditions monitored and stable

  • No recent major surgery without clinician clearance

  • No acute infections or medical emergencies

Qi Gong is a complement, not a replacement, for medical care.

For cardiovascular-specific questions, you can cross-refer to:

C. Mental health and risk

Qi Gong can support people with depression, anxiety and stress, but:

  • It should not replace specialist input for severe mental illness or crisis.

  • Anyone with current suicidal ideation, psychosis or acute instability should be managed via mental health teams first.

  • For complex trauma, present Qi Gong as gentle, optional and slow, not as a deep emotional release practice.

You can explore this angle in more depth in:

3. Choosing the right Bright Beings Academy option

Once you’re happy it’s appropriate, you can match the person to one of three main routes.

Option 1 – UK-wide live online Qi Gong

Best for:

  • Housebound or shielding patients

  • Rural or transport-limited clients

  • People with social anxiety or carer responsibilities

Refer to:

Option 2 – New Malden: over-50s and chair-friendly class

Best for:

  • Older adults in KT3 / New Malden / nearby

  • People who need or prefer chair-based options

  • Gentle movers with arthritis, high blood pressure or low confidence

Refer to:

Option 3 – Chessington / Hook: healthy ageing and stress relief

Best for:

  • Adults 40+ in KT9 / Chessington / Hook

  • People wanting a bit more standing practice, focused on balance and strength

  • Stressed workers and carers who can attend an early-evening class

Refer to:

For the community and loneliness angle across both sites, you can also use:

4. Simple scripts you can use in practice

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel in every consultation. Here are a few short scripts you can adapt.

A. General Qi Gong explanation

“There’s a gentle movement and breathing class called Qi Gong. You can do it standing or sitting. It’s designed for people who feel stiff, tired, stressed or low – not for super-fit gym-goers.

Research suggests it can help with pain, sleep and mood when people do it regularly. It doesn’t replace your usual medical care, but it can give your body and nervous system extra support.”

You can back this up with:

B. For mental-health-led referrals

“You’ve told me your body feels on edge a lot of the time. Qi Gong is a very gentle way of helping your body calm down – slow movements and breathing rather than talking or pushing yourself.

It can sit alongside your current treatment. Think of it as a weekly ‘reset’ for your nervous system.”

C. For older adults worried about falling

“This class is designed for people just like you – over-50s who feel unsteady or stiff. Many movements can be done in a chair, and there’s no pressure to keep up.

The aim is to make walking, getting up and moving around feel easier and safer over time.”

Pair with:

5. How many sessions should you recommend?

The research suggests that people tend to benefit when they practise regularly over weeks to months, not just from a single taster.

A practical, honest recommendation is:

“Let’s treat this as an experiment. Try one class a week for 6–8 weeks, and we’ll see what’s changed in your pain, sleep, mood and confidence.”

You can reinforce this with links to:

6. Monitoring outcomes without extra burden

You don’t need a new, complex system. You can:

A. Use light-touch questions

At review (6–12 weeks), ask:

  • “How is your pain or stiffness compared with when you started?”

  • “Has your sleep changed at all?”

  • “Do you feel any more steady on your feet?”

  • “How are your stress and mood these days?”

  • “Do you feel more or less connected to other people?”

B. Use short questionnaires for projects

If you are running a funded project or pilot, you can mirror the approach in the Brighter Living evaluation:

  • 6–10 simple questions on pain, movement, mood, sleep and connection

  • 2–3 open questions – “What has changed for you since starting the class?”

See how this was done in:

These give you both numbers and stories for PCN dashboards, Trust reports or funding bids.

7. Working with PCNs, Trusts and councils

If you are thinking beyond individual referrals and towards commissioned provision, you can:

  • Use the Brighter Living report and the evidence articles as your core pack

  • Map local need (pain, COPD, falls, loneliness, mental health) to the Qi Gong options

  • Start with a short pilot (e.g. 12–24 weeks) and embed light evaluation from the start

For ideas on partnership models, group sizes and delivery formats, you can explore:

For a quick overview of all resources in this cluster, keep:

close to hand.

FAQs: Practical referral questions

1. Do I need to write a formal referral, or can I just signpost?

You can do either. Many link workers simply signpost with a link and a brief explanation, then record it in the care plan. For higher-risk clients or funded programmes, you may choose a more formal referral template.

2. What if someone stops attending after a week or two?

Drop-off is normal. You can:

  • Ask what got in the way – timing, energy, anxiety, practicalities

  • Offer a different route (e.g. online instead of in-person, or vice versa)

  • Reassure them that it’s okay to start again in small steps

Sometimes sharing the impact stories helps:

3. How do I explain Qi Gong to people who are sceptical or non-spiritual?

Keep it simple and practical:

“This is a gentle exercise and breathing class. It’s used in hospitals and community centres around the world. You don’t have to believe anything – just move, breathe and see how your body feels.”

You can back this up with the evidence hub:

4. Can carers attend alongside the person referred?

Yes. Carers are welcome and often benefit just as much. Coming together can:

  • Increase the person’s confidence to attend

  • Give carers a shared positive activity

  • Offer carers a chance to move and breathe for themselves

5. Where can I quickly see all the available Qi Gong options and FAQs?

Use this pair as your “control panel”:

Next steps

If you’d like to start referring today, you can:

And whenever you need local, story-rich evidence to support your decisions, keep the
Brighter Living Qi Gong Impact Report 2019–2020 (PDF)
close. It’s a simple, powerful reminder of what gentle movement can do for real people in Surrey.

I look forward to connecting with you in my next post.
Until then, be well and keep shining.
Peter. :)

how to refer qigong, gp referral qigong, social prescribing referral guide, link workers qigong toolkit, safe exercise referrals, gentle movement inclusion criteria, bright beings academy referral process, online and local qigong referrals, nhs primary care social prescribing, patient information qigong classes
Peter Paul Parker is a Meraki Guide and Qi Gong Instructor who helps empaths, intuitives, and the spiritually aware heal emotional wounds, embrace shadow work, and reconnect with their authentic selves. Through a unique blend of ancient practices, modern insights, and his signature Dream Method, he guides people towards self-love, balance, and spiritual empowerment.

Peter Paul Parker

Peter Paul Parker is a Meraki Guide and Qi Gong Instructor who helps empaths, intuitives, and the spiritually aware heal emotional wounds, embrace shadow work, and reconnect with their authentic selves. Through a unique blend of ancient practices, modern insights, and his signature Dream Method, he guides people towards self-love, balance, and spiritual empowerment.

LinkedIn logo icon
Youtube logo icon
Back to Blog