Report highlights benefits of nature-based projects

A new report backed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has found that nature-based health projects could save the NHS both time and money.

The study, published by The Wildlife Trusts, claims nature-based health and wellbeing programmes could save hundreds of millions of pounds each year and reduce society’s reliance on the NHS.

The analysis, called A Natural Health Service: Improving Lives and Saving Money, found that “green prescribing” can save more in healthcare costs than the price of running a green prescribing scheme.

Green prescribing is an evidence-based pillar of social prescribing that harnesses the health, wellbeing and social benefits of spending time in nature.

It enables GPs and other health care practitioners to refer people to nature-based programmes to improve physical and mental health.

The new research analysed five Wildlife Trusts programmes to see how they benefitted the NHS.

It found that if just one of these programmes was offered to everyone likely to take them up – estimated at 1.2 million people – it could result in annual cost savings of £635.6 million.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is part of the Green Social Prescribing for Mental Health Test and Learn Sites – Government (England) pilot, one of the projects identified in the report to highlight the level of activity and interest in green prescribing and the opportunities that it provides.

Lisa Witham, director of Wilder Communities at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said: “We are thrilled to see that the findings from this research demonstrate the broad range of benefits associated with programmes like the Green Prescribing for Mental Health pilot in Derbyshire, which Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is proud to be part of with our partners.

“Research has proven that spending time outdoors in nature is great for our physical and mental health.

“Our externally evaluated wellbeing programmes have found that participants experienced a reduction in anxiety, increased mental wellbeing, life satisfaction, levels of how worthwhile they felt their life was, and happiness.”