Best Practice
NHS Greenspace Projects
The Project has influenced over 87ha of NHS land, planted more than 10,000 trees, made or upgraded 20km of paths, created four therapeutic gardens and fifty seating areas, and brought many areas of woodland and meadows into better management.
The Green Exercise Partnership – NatureScot, Scottish Forestry, NHS National Services Scotland and Public Health Scotland – coordinates the NHS Greenspace Demonstration Project.
The aims of the project are:
- to improve the quality and accessibility of greenspace on a range of demonstration sites
- to encourage more use of greenspace by patients, staff, visitors and members of the local community Greenspace improvements
- Improving the provision of greenspace planned for new facilities or retrofitting better quality greenspace in existing settings was part of the first phase of the project.
- Demonstration sites include a range of healthcare settings – from community healthcare centres to large campus hospital sites.
These enhancements help NHS sites provide nature-based clinical interventions and therapies as well as space for staff to relax and de-stress.