High Peak health organisations begin first England trial of nature prescriptions for patient wellbeing

Proponents of the scheme believe that individuals with a greater connection to nature experience improved mental health, greater vitality, happiness, and life satisfaction with particular benefits for people experiencing conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression.

A nature prescription is a non-medical approach based on accessible, self-led activities that people can do from home, on their own or with others – from searching for frost on leaves to listening to the sounds of the outdoors, watching a winter sunset or drawing a spring flower.

Following successful pilot programmes run by RSPB Scotland in the Shetland Isles and Edinburgh, the scheme is now being used by two social prescribing services in High Peak, which together receive referrals from 13 local GP practices, community mental health teams, adult social care and the Live Life Better Derbyshire scheme, as well as self-referrals.

Tom Miller, a GP at Buxton Medical Practice on Temple Road, said: “Making sure we’re taking care of our health and wellbeing is incredibly important, particularly in January when life can be a real struggle; the days are short and money can be tight.

“Nature prescriptions are a great way for people to potentially boost their wellbeing by taking time to be with nature. Evidence is emerging that time outdoors is good for our health and this is an ingenious, simple and cost-effective way to support people to do just that.”

Project partners High Peak Community and Voluntary Support (HPCVS), in Whaley Bridge, and the Bureau, in Glossop, regularly use social prescribing to help people explore ‘what matters to them’ as part of a more holistic approach to health and wellbeing.

Staff work with clients to find solutions to problems that they have identified in their lives, and connect them to other local organisations, self-help and community groups and agencies for various forms of practical, social, physical and emotional support.

A nature prescription can be offered by a trained healthcare professional and includes a leaflet and month-by-month calendar of ideas, which has been compiled with input from the RSPB, national park staff and the High Peak and Glossopdale Primary Care Networks.

HPCVS spokesperson Jess McFall said: “To be the first area in England involved in Nature Prescriptions is exciting and inspiring! We’ve been really impressed with the materials and are eagerly looking forward to connecting our clients to nature and seeing the impact this may have on members of our community first hand.

“What’s even more special is that the suggestions in the calendar have been carefully curated to make them specific to the places, spaces and environments we all love in the High Peak.”

Ruth Towner-Yates, at the Bureau, added: “The evidence of the positive impact of connecting with nature is very positive. It’s a privilege to have been involved in the roll out of this work in the High Peak and we eagerly await good outcomes for our social prescribing clients using it.”

According to feedback from the Scotland trials, more than 74 per cent of patients said they benefitted from their prescription and 87 per cent of people saying that they would continue to use nature to support their health and wellbeing.

The programme is already being extended to more areas north of the border, and the RSPB hopes that it will be expanded across England and adopted by more and more healthcare organisations in future.

RSPB project manager Sarah Walker said: “I’m thrilled to see the project coming to life in the High Peak and can’t wait to see how people in the area benefit from Nature Prescriptions.

“Working together with the national park we have used our experience of connecting people to nature combined with the local knowledge of social prescribing services to develop something which is locally relevant and accessible for people to do from their own homes or close by. At the end of the day we’re all part of the natural world, and helping people to connect with it is so important.”

She added: “We’d love to see nature as a part of every health professional’s toolkit in the future. So many people are faced with a whole range of pressures in their lives and nature could provide a way to help them through.”

For the national park, nature prescribing is just the latest step in its efforts to make the Peak District more accessible, welcoming and helpful to those who visit it.

Jo Hanney, communities and wellbeing ranger at PDNPA, said: “We have decades of experience of enabling people to connect with nature in the Peak District National Park, but the RSPB nature prescription is a new way of working for us.

“This experience and our knowledge of the Peak District have been key to developing the new tool, which is the first of its kind in England. We will be able to reach a far wider and more diverse audience by connecting people to the National Park through the prescription.”

She added: “This exciting partnership sees the real benefits of spaces like our national parks more widely recognised as places that can make a very real and positive difference to people’s lives.”

To find out more about nature prescriptions visit the RSPB website: https://www.rspb.org.uk/natureprescriptions.

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