Whether it’s listening to birdsong on a spring morning or crunching through leaves on a bracing autumn stroll, many of us instinctively turn to nature to lift our spirits. Increasing evidence backs that up, proving that nature really does have the power to boost our health, happiness and wellbeing. That’s why we launched the first ever Nature Prescriptions project in England in 2023.
Nature Prescriptions are an innovative way for healthcare professionals to prescribe nature as part of a patient’s treatment plan.
These Nature Prescriptions are supported by a leaflet and calendar of activity suggestions. Some of the activities involve exercising outdoors, but most are intended to help and inspire people to connect with nature in a way that’s meaningful to them – for example by listening to birdsong or watching a sunset.
Previous trials of Nature Prescriptions in Scotland were really encouraging, with 74% of patients saying that they benefited from their prescription and 91% of prescribing health professionals saying they would continue to offer nature prescriptions.
Click here to see our report on the outcomes of an urban pilot of Nature Prescriptions in Edinburgh.
Building on this success in Scotland, we are now working with partners to deliver Nature Prescriptions in England, starting in the High Peak area of Derbyshire.
In Scotland prescriptions were offered by GPs, but in England many different healthcare professionals, including Social Prescribing Link Workers, will be delivering Nature Prescriptions. We hope this will allow us to reach more people so that they can experience the benefits of nature for themselves.
Being connected with nature calms me and makes me feel grounded. It gives me perspective and lifts my heart. Thank you so much for this inspired service. It’s absolutely brilliant!
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