Natural England has launched a new campaign, Our Natural Health Service, which calls for a change in the way that people are given access to green spaces and the ways in which outdoor activity programmes are supported by GPs.
Dr Helen Phillips, Natural England’s chief executive, said: “For decades, green spaces have been left out of the equation of urban planning and healthcare provision and we are living with the consequences in the form of rising levels of obesity and related diseases. Being out, about and active is not a luxury but needs to be a fundamental part of how we live."
Dr Phillips also announced the findings of the latest research from the Universities of Bristol and East Anglia which shows that – even after taking account of socioeconomic variations – people living more than 11/4 miles away from a park were less likely to be physically active and 27% more likely to be overweight or obese.
The key aims of Our Natural Health Service are:
1. To increase the number of households that are within five minutes walk of an area of green space of at least two hectares.
2. To enable every GP or community nurse to be able to signpost patients to an approved health walk or outdoor activity programme.
Dr Phillips concluded: "Prioritising the development of easily accessible green spaces and making outdoor activity a core part of health programmes could transform our nation’s health and save billions in expenditure on public healthcare.”
