NHS Orkney roll out ‘Nature Prescriptions’ following success in Shetland and Edinburgh - NatureScot
NHS Orkney has begun the roll out of ‘Nature Prescriptions’, a joint initiative with RSPB Scotland and conservation programme Species on the Edge, designed to increase patients’ physical and mental health through increased connection with nature.
A Nature Prescription is a guided conversation between a healthcare professional and patient which explores how the patient can improve their mental and physical wellbeing through deepening their connection with nature. Alongside the conversation, patients are given a Nature Prescription Calendar which contains suggestions of seasonal activities they can try to help them connect to nature in a way that is personal and meaningful to them.
A growing body of evidence finds that having a strong connection to nature, beyond simple exposure to the natural world, can result in multiple benefits to both physical and mental health. Benefits can include:
- Boosted immune system
- Improved memory and concentration
- Reduction in stress and promotion of relaxation
- Improved sleep quality
- Reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Reduction in respiratory illnesses
The Nature Prescription initiative was first trialed in Scotland in Shetland and in five GP practices across Edinburgh. 74% of patients who took part in the trial reported having benefitted from their prescription and 91% of prescribing health professionals stated that they would continue to offer Nature Prescriptions.
One patient who took part in the trial in Edinburgh said, “It is easy to forget just how helpful going for a walk in the woods, beach or park lifts your spirits, especially with “life” getting in the way. Having the “permission” to take time out and reconnect with nature has made a huge difference. It is a powerful and deep emotional boost/tonic that does help, as simple and basic as it may seem.”
Following the success of the trial in Shetland and Edinburgh, NHS Orkney have teamed up with RSPB Scotland and nature conservation programme, Species on the Edge, to roll out Nature Prescriptions in Orkney.