Despite many people rarely visiting parks or the countryside, the NHS is now turning to the natural world to support mental health treatment. In Sussex, healthcare professionals are taking part in a specially designed training programme that equips them to use green spaces in their day-to-day work with patients.

Backed by Natural England and delivered by community interest company Circle of Life Rediscovery, the five-month course provides hands-on experience and an accredited qualification. It’s aimed at a wide range of professionals — from therapists and social workers to psychiatrists and youth workers — and teaches how to adapt therapy practices to outdoor environments, drawing on growing evidence that time in nature can lower stress and improve physical health.

Since its launch in 2023, 36 NHS staff in Sussex have completed the training, reporting benefits not only for patients but for themselves too. Participants say they feel more relaxed and energised when working outdoors and are now applying nature-based approaches in their professional settings with the support of colleagues.

With a new round of training already underway and further sessions scheduled for 2026, this initiative is part of a broader push to understand how nature can influence health and wellbeing. A large-scale study involving 18,000 adults will track the long-term impacts of outdoor exposure on physical and mental health across the UK.