Nature Program Improves Patient Wellbeing, May Reduce NHS Costs, Experts Say

Health professionals suggest that an initiative promoting outdoor engagement for hospital patients positively impacts their health and may reduce NHS expenditure on treatments. The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, a charitable organization, manages the NHS Forest Project. This project’s objective is to convert 6,000 hectares (14,826 acres) of green areas at healthcare facilities, thereby encouraging patient interaction with natural environments. Among the participating locations in this initiative is Langdon Hospital, a secure mental health facility situated in Dawlish, Devon. The underlying premise is that access to green spaces has the potential to alleviate various conditions, including heart disease, stress, obesity, diabetes, and depression. At the hospital, outdoor activities include patients and their relatives collaborating on the restoration of Devon hedges. Werner Lothmann, whose relative is a patient at the hospital, is one of the individuals contributing to these efforts. He observed that the activity had positively impacted his family member’s therapeutic process. “It takes them out of an enclosed environment,” he said. “They feel free. Being in nature, it’s calming. I think it is a bit of a refuge or sanctuary.” Initiated in 2009 as a tree-planting endeavor, the NHS Forest has since expanded to include over 360 healthcare locations throughout the UK, with more than 100,000 trees planted either on or adjacent to these sites. “Being in hospital or having to visit the doctor, it can be a stressful experience,” said Una Devlin from the project. “We know that being able to have green spaces can [have a] very calming effect on people, it can really, really help them.” Professor Ruth Garside, affiliated with the University of Exeter Medical School, has been assessing the effects of nature-based social prescribing on mental health. She stated that her research indicated the program’s financial advantages. “[We] looked at seven pilot sites in England, where green social prescribing was offered, and they were trying to improve access to it,” she said. “The work that we did there looked at something called the social return on investment and found that for [every] £1 invested, there was £1.88 returned. ” “So I think we’re starting to build that evidence we need, [but] we need more.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.