Natural Spaces

More and more research demonstrates that access to natural green spaces and ‘blue’ spaces (such as rivers and lakes) provides mental and physical health benefits for those who live and work nearby.

Green spaces provide a range of direct benefits to the local area including, moderating temperatures in the urban heat island, cleansing the air and sheltering people and buildings from noise, UV light, and flooding. Natural spaces spaces are also vital in improving mental health and well being and providing opportunities for physical activity, and they also play an important community role in strengthening social cohesion and community safety and reducing health inequalities.

The NATURAL HEALTH SERVICE CONCORDAT states that “We believe that everyone should have the right of access to local, high quality, natural green space to benefit their physical and mental health and wellbeing”.

In the Built Environment

Unfortunately natural space is not equally distributed. Marginalised sections of the population such as people in prisons, hospitals, mental health wards and older people are often unable to get to green space.

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Natural Health Service

An increasing number of studies have found that people with access to nearby nature are generally healthier than those without, and that natural  spaces, large or small, provide real and measurable health benefits.  This 'Natural Health Service' is a hugely important  and the NHS has a role to ensure that these services are not only utlised, but protected and enhanced for the health of the entire community, today and into the future.

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