The Nature of Scotland

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It’s now widely agreed that ‘nature is good for
you’, so it makes sense for doctors to prescribe
activities that take place outdoors.
GPs, nurses and physiotherapists in many parts of Scotland
already prescribe physical activity for a range of health
conditions. These ‘exercise referral schemes’ usually focus
on indoor activities, such as swimming or going to the gym.
‘Green prescription schemes’ take it a step further, with
health professionals able to prescribe or refer patients to
exercise outdoors. There are lots of existing outdoor green
exercise schemes in Scotland that could be suitable for
green prescription.
Many of these are group based (for instance walking
groups, green gyms, gardening projects) and take place in
the local community. They’re supported through a range of
organisations such as Paths to Health, Trellis and the British
Trust for Conservation Volunteers. People get the chance to
take part in enjoyable outdoor physical activity, and at the
same time they can learn more about their local area and
meet new people. This can also help to reduce feelings of
being socially isolated and not knowing anyone.
NHS Health Scotland and SNH funded research earlier
this year to find out more about the green prescription
schemes that already exist in Scotland. The researchers
looked at the number of green exercise schemes that aim
to improve health, where they are and how they link in with
health professionals. The study came up with over 170 green
exercise schemes in Scotland, and 94 of them completed an
online survey about their work.
The 94 schemes are very diverse, not only in terms of
size and what they provide, but also the health conditions
they cater for and whether health professionals are involved.
The target population is most commonly deskbound
people and the general population, although a quarter of
the schemes target people with mental health problems.
For example, ‘Branching Out’ (a conservation scheme) and
‘Pedal Forth’ (a cycling scheme) are both referral schemes
run for this group.
There are two main ways that the schemes link up with
health professionals. Firstly, some green exercise projects
are directly involved with established exercise referral
schemes. For example, ‘West Lothian on the Move’ is an
exercise referral scheme that includes the option for people
to walk with a group.
The other link-up between schemes and health
professionals comes through directly communicating and
working with them. ‘Walk Deeside’ works with doctors
and others to provide walks to support a range of health
conditions, including diabetes and dementia. And ‘Galloway
Strollers’ is another example of a scheme that has a referral
method in place.
Although there are many success stories, some of the
schemes had difficulties convincing health professionals that
outdoor activities were safe and really would benefit patients.
And health professionals are busy people, who may forget
to refer patients on to the activities. Indeed, there’s lots of
scope for health professionals to increase the numbers of
patients that they refer, and the scheme organisers are keen
for this to happen.
The full report is available from www.healthscotland.
com/documents/4225.aspx and SNH has also published
a series of health and natural heritage case studies at
www.snh.gov.uk/about-snh/what-we-do/health-andwellbeing/healthier-scotland/green-exercise-projects
www.snh.gov.uk 57