Health is one of the four main themes on which Natural England* is currently campaigning and the work of WfH is an integral part of this campaign.
Growing medical evidence shows that access to the natural environment improves health and wellbeing, prevents disease and helps people recover from illness. Experiencing nature in the outdoors can help tackle childhood obesity, coronary heart disease, stress and mental health problems. Adults who become more active halve their risk of dying early from heart disease. People using the natural environment keep active longer.
Natural England believes that, among other things, programmes providing regular healthy walks could be greatly expanded and will be supporting WfH in this work.
Natural England linking WfH and the Department of Health (DoH) Through Natural England, the Department of Health is working with WfH in developing a Physical Activity Care Pathway pilot. The "pathway" is a means by which frontline health professionals can identify sedentary patients who would benefit - in terms of physical health - from increased levels of physical activity.
This pathway has been designed to help facilitate the promotion of physical activity across primary care. The pathway is a tool for GPs and other professionals to use with patients who would benefit from a more active lifestyle and should result in signposting to local health walks and green exercise schemes in addition to opportunities for local indoor activities.
Growing awareness of the benefits and sustainability of healthy walking means that GPs should be challenged to extend the range of options for these patients beyond the indoor-based or gym-based exercise that may not appeal to some patients.
Physical Activity Care Pathway - pilot details The pathway is to be piloted in two waves. The first wave launched in September 2007 in six London boroughs (Islington, Harrow, Haringey, Tower Hamlets, Southwark and Wandsworth) with 8 GP practices involved.
Wave two launched in March 2008 in six London boroughs (Brent, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston, Newham and Tower Hamlets) with 7 GP surgeries involved.
Health care staff will fill in a Physical Activity Questionnaire with their patients and then work with patients who are found to be at most risk from inactivity to overcome barriers to physical activity and set individual goals. Patients will be given an Activity Pack and told about the range of local physical activities available - including some that take place outdoors such as cycling and health walks.
Natural England will be working closely with WfH schemes in the areas involved in the pilot and will be asking for their help in the provision of maps and leaflets. (For more information contact rachel.cook@naturalengland.org.uk)
Working with frontline healthcare professionals Natural England will be working with DoH on the Physical Activity Care Pathway pilot to:
promote the natural environment for health as part of the information and training on outdoor physical activities being made available to GPs, Practice Nurses, Public Health employees and pharmacists, through the Health Campaign this autumn.
supply maps/leaflets for each borough's Activity Pack that direct patients to local activities linked to the natural environment.
provide Step-O-Meter training and the opportunity to go on a health walk to all participating healthcare professionals.
Other links WfH will also be working with the Department of Health in the following ways:
through the
new WfH accreditation system, which will enable local health staff to identify suitable local schemes to suggest to their patients;
by maintaining close involvement with the Department on the
Work with the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) has begun on a method of evaluating every WfH scheme. The data collected will provide evidence to strengthen WfH's position.
*In October 2006, Natural England was formed by bringing together English Nature, the landscape, access and recreation elements of the Countryside Agency and the environmental land management functions of the Rural Development Service. Natural England works for people, places and nature.
