There is a growing body of evidence for the value of nature to our health and well-being. Natural England have produced a series of evidence briefings you can find on this site TVNP Natural health & well-being. Their latest study engages local authorities and health commissioners to identify best practice in a range of social prescribing services referring people to nature-based (green care) interventions in light of:
The NHS ambitions to focus on individual and community involvement in healthcare.
The shift to more local delivery of health and care services.
The under-utilisation of existing green care services. And
The vast potential to increase the scale of green care provision.
Options for improving the commissioning of, and referral to, these services as well as scaling-up the provision of nature-based interventions are explored.