Our Natural Health Service is a term we have heard in Scotland for a number of years but how is it progressing and where is it going next?

We know our Chief Medical Officer is committed to connecting people to nature as demonstrated in the Realistic Medicine: Taking Care Annual Report 2023–2024 and that commitment has been carried through into actions laid out in the NHS Scotland Strategy for Climate Change and Sustainability.

The most recent developments in the area of green health nationally demonstrate that momentum continues and recent reports highlight how green social prescribing (GSP) and green health partnerships (GHPs) offer great potential as innovative ways to engage people with the outdoors.

Nature Scots publication on GHPs Realising the Potential of Scotland's Natural Health Service in Practice is the most recent in a series of reports that considers what the Green Health Partnerships have achieved and where they could go next.   Bottom of Form

These partnerships involve collaboration between health boards, local authorities, and other sectors to promote physical and mental health using local green spaces. Scotland's approach to green health focuses on improving the supply, quality, and accessibility of nature (place-making); increasing participation in nature-based activities; and recognizing the benefits of nature in health and environmental policy (policy synergy).

Four pilot partnerships were established in 2018 in Dundee, Highland, Lanarkshire, and North Ayrshire.  The pilot GHPs have facilitated opportunities for people to engage with nature, increased awareness among health professionals about the benefits of nature-based health promotion, and mainstreamed nature-based contributions into local policies and plans. While the pilot phase has now concluded, the partnership remain active and there is activity beyond those geographies.  The ultimate goal is to embed green health into wider policy agendas locally and nationally.

Part of this journey is the recent establishment of a Scotland wide Green Health Learning Network.  Led by Public Health Scotland and supported by Nature Scot and greenspace scotland, this network launched with an inaugural webinar in January 2025 exploring the current strategic direction of green health and evidence related to green prescribing.

At the event the evidence from Green Health Prescribing (GHPr) work that has taken place in Dundee, Highland, and North Ayrshire was presented.  It has been evaluated it using the APEASE (Acceptability, Practicability, Effectiveness, Affordability, Spillover effects, Equity) criteria.

The evaluation found that stakeholders generally accepted the concept of using green spaces and green health prescribing, with service users reporting improvements in physical, mental, and social outcomes. It was considered an affordable approach for service users, but a lack of supporting IT infrastructure for referrals, communication, and data capture posed challenges and needs to be improved to support strategic decision making.

The study suggests that sustainable funding, tailored activities, and accessible information are crucial for successful GHPr implementation. Addressing barriers such as travel costs, mobility issues, and cultural factors is essential to ensure equitable access to green health activities

This event on Green Health Prescribing was an engaging and interesting launch webinar and more are planned.  Watch this space for more information on the development of that network and how to join up.

There are lots of exciting developments in the world of green health, and greenspace scotland is right at the heart of it, driving initiatives that can connect people with nature for better well-being.

We recognise the essential role of nature in our health and well-being and are involved in many projects linked to that.  We work at national level in partnership with PHS and Nature Scot including chairing the inaugural learning network event.  At local level we have worked with North Ayrshire to create a strategic framework on green health, and supported NHS Lothian Green Health.

We see all of these recent developments and ongoing projects as crucial ways of paving the way for a greener, healthier, and happier Scotland.  If you would like to work with us on green health, email [email protected]