Nature-based health and wellbeing programmes could save hundreds of millions of pounds each year and reduce society’s reliance on the NHS, according to a new report by The Wildlife Trusts.

A Natural Health Service: Improving Lives and Saving Money, found that green prescribing can save more in healthcare costs than the price of running a green prescribing scheme.

Green prescribing is an evidence-based pillar of social prescribing that harnesses the health, well-being, and social benefits of spending time in nature. It enables GPs and other health care practitioners to refer people to nature-based programs to improve physical and mental health.