Doctors In Scotland Are Prescribing Nature To Their Patients
Listening to birdsong and taking a walk are among the other ideas being suggested to patients. It is hoped it could help tackle a range of conditions such as high blood pressure and anxiety. It has been trialled at the Scalloway surgery, and is now being rolled out to all 10 GP practices across Shetland.
On October 5th 2018, doctors in the Scottish town of Shetland were authorised to prescribe nature to their patients. It’s thought to be the first program of its kind in the U.K. and seeks to reduce blood pressure and anxiety and increase happiness for those with diabetes, mental illness, stress, heart disease, and more.
Doctors in Shetland, Scotland can now give nature prescriptions to their patients. It’s believed to be the first program of its kind in the U.K., and it comes with a year-long calendar of outdoor recommendations. The evidence for the benefits of nature on mental and physical health are numerous.
The nature walks won’t replace traditional medicine, but they will provide a supplemental treatment, says Dr Chloe Evans, who piloted the program.
Evans said, “I want to take part because the project provides a structured way for patients to access nature as part of a non-drug approach to health problems.”
“The benefits to patients are that it is free, easily accessible and allows increased connection with surroundings which hopefully leads to improved physical and mental health for individuals.”
The calendar, available online, encourages patients to comb beaches for shells, do some gardening, take a coastal walk or even search for otters during low tide in order to reap the health benefits of the outdoors.
Research has shown that exposure to nature can counter depression, decrease stress levels, improve blood pressure and it has also been shown to boost creative and cognitive abilities.
Lauren Peterson, health improvement practitioner for NHS Shetland, said: “Through the Nature Prescriptions project GPs and nurses can explain and promote the many benefits which being outdoors can have on physical and mental wellbeing.”
