NATURE is now being prescribed by five GP practices in Edinburgh as part of a new collaboration between RSPB Scotland and Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation.
Over the next five months, GPs will be able to prescribe nature to patients, an initiative inspired by growing evidence that connecting with nature makes us healthier and happier.
Nature Prescriptions started in Shetland in 2017 as a partnership between RSPB Scotland and NHS Shetland and was successfully rolled out to all 10 GP practices across Shetland in 2018.
The new Edinburgh pilot aims to investigate whether Nature Prescriptions can be delivered in a similar way in an urban environment, and to explore the potential for extending it throughout Scotland.
The Edinburgh pilot was due to begin in March this year but was paused as GP practices dealt with the demands of the onset of Covid-19. Since then, many people have developed a new awareness and appreciation of local greenspaces, with numerous reports of people finding comfort in nature during lockdown. The RSPB has also seen an increase in the number of people sharing sightings of birds and wildlife that they had never noticed before.
RSPB Scotland has produced a leaflet and a calendar of ideas specific to Edinburgh. These materials have been designed to help patients connect with nature in a variety of ways and are provided, where needed, alongside regular prescriptions as part of a range of health treatments prescribed by their GP.
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