Hospital Greenspace
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Improving health and wellbeing in hospital through greenspace The Health Promoting Health Service (HPHS) aims to support the development of a health promoting culture and embed effective health improvement practice as part of quality healthcare delivery. This contributes to the delivery of NHSScotland’s Healthcare Quality Strategy which puts people at the centre of quality delivery and encourages NHS Boards to share and spread their exemplars of high quality healthcare, pursue their local commitments, take new action to improve quality and consider different ways of working. To read other HPHS case studies please visit www.hphs.co.uk and for more information on the HPHS support package please contact: [email protected] number The outcomes The Forestry Commission’s Branching Out hphs case study NHS Forth Valley developed the Royal initiative evaluated activities they held at 10 Hospital’s local woodlands into greenspace hospital grounds through a questionnaire. recreational facilities for staff, patients, visitors, This questionnaire captured the state of health NHS Forth Valley shares an example local schools and the community. The project for each client who took part, both before of working in partnership to develop involved engaging people in physical activity and after activities. This evaluation provided a programme of activities using courses (bushcraft, walks and tai chi) as well evidence of benefits, not only for staff but also hospital grounds for physical and as encouraging hospital staff and visitors to the community. mental health activities. use the grounds for therapy and relaxation. Every health care contact is a health improvement opportunity www.hphs.co.uk Drivers What we did number A 12-month consultation period with the The Branching Out initiative (run by the Forestry hphs case study community and the hospital identified the Commission) uses greenspace regularly to run 10 need to upgrade the woodlands and to raise physical activity course at newly developed awareness of the grounds and their recreational outdoor greenspace settings to boost skills and potential. CEL 01 (2012) section 18.7 provided confidence. In a great example of partnership good leverage and impetus to the project, working, a wide range of stakeholders came Targeting professionals: helping to get hospital staff on board. The together to develop this project, for example, • Forestry Commission Scotland and NHS Forth Patient Focus and Public Involvement Action health and forestry professionals, education Valley worked together with Central Scotland Plan 2007 was used as a premise to involve establishments and the wider community. Forest Trust and Falkirk Council to transform the public. The woodland was upgraded and given the woodlands, which would contribute to The physical activity levels of children outside a makeover to transform the hospital’s improving the health of the local population. school have been broadly static. However, surrounding into a ‘green oasis’. Face-to-face, • Forestry Commission Scotland’s Woods in with estimates of physical activity including online and postal surveys of local residents and Around Towns programme provided school-based exercise, a more accurate picture helped engage the community and let them funding, matched by NHS Forth Valley, to emerges. In 2010, 72% of children (75% of have a say in how their greenspace would look. upgrade the woodlands. The University of boys and 70% of girls) met the physical activity Highlands and Islands engaged with the recommendations when school-based activity The development work of the space involved opening up pathways to allow better access and hospital and in the community, helping to was included. This project contributes to the raise awareness of the hospital grounds and big picture at local level by providing a safe upgrading vegetation of the local loch to raise the water level and increase the open water. Patients their potential for recreational use and also environment and facilities for the children to led the walking programme. be physical active. and the local community were encouraged to use the woodlands for recreation and relaxation. For example, a 12-week program of bushcraft and conservation tasks brought people together and encouraged them to work as a team and tai chi sessions have been well attended by staff, patients and members of the local community. A new project with similar outcomes has been piloted over the past six weeks with the Forth Valley Royal Hospital cardiac rehab group, averaging 20 clients per session. Targeting patients: What worked well number • Local community, schools, hospital staff, • Shared understanding in the benefits of hphs case study patients and visitors took part in the green space. 10 consultation and the development of the project. • Partnership working. • The Forestry Commission’s Branching Out • Liaising with local community groups (26 in Evaluation initiative was involved to refer patients to the total) made it much easier to pass around project and to evaluate individual activities in information on the work being undertaken All patients, visitors and staff who used the site the project. at the hospital. reported mental health benefits. • The local primary school used the space • Falkirk Council’s litter strategy officers The grounds of Forth Valley Royal Hospital regularly and a local community ranger patrolled the grounds to help stop dog are being used for outdoor therapy to boost provided outdoor education about fouling and littering on the premises. wellbeing among groups of people with mental health issues. As well as gaining experience greenspace to children. • Keeping the locals informed of works through in conservation, outdoor crafts and tai chi, signage and attending community group patients from Bellsdyke Hospital in Larbert meetings and speaking to the people about and Westbank Day Hospital in Falkirk has been What we found difficult the project. Answering any questions or given the chance to work toward the John concerns they may have about the changes In the initial stages of the project development Muir Trust Award for discovering, exploring being made on the grounds. it was difficult to identify relevant individuals and conserving the environment through the within the hospital setting. Once the individuals • The local users of the woods have been, and Branching Out initiative. were identified to work with and staff started continue to be, the eyes and ears on the taking part in walking programme, led by the Pupils of all ages from Larbert Village Primary ground and are key to ensuring that antisocial University of Highlands and Islands, a strong School are involved in outdoor education at the behaviour on the site is kept to a minimum. relationship grew. Therefore, the development hospital grounds where they regularly spend of an accurate contact information sheet to afternoons learning about the local greenspace. engage with relevant people would save time Some have used this to achieve the John Muir in the future. Trust discovery group award. Others who have Another difficulty was keeping users safe benefited include Larbert, Stenhousemuir and when the work was being undertaken. Several Torwood Community Group, Larbert Village contractors were onsite at one time and signage Primary School, Communities Along the Carron, and barriers had to be erected. Some users, Torwood Community Woodland Group, the who have been using the area for several years, Rotary Club, Clackmannanshire Field Studies thought that diversions didn’t apply to them and Society and the Green Dog Walkers and River had to be reminded of the need for exclusion for Carron Fisheries Management Group. their own safety. The success of the project is largely attributed to the continuous engagement with all Future steps number stakeholders and this is the main lessons hphs case study learned from the process. The many hospital The future steps of this initiative would be to: 10 and community groups continue to be the main • Continue to manage the land in partnership sources of dissemination of information and, with – and on behalf of – NHS Forth Valley to therefore, strong working relationships amongst finish the Woods in and Around Towns work. them are key. • Add signage to link the hospital to the wider The outcomes of the project have been environment in order to promote the facilities. evaluated through feedback from patients, staff and schoolchildren. This highlighted that the • Continue to build and expand relationships new environment provided: with the hospital staff, patients and visitors and the local community. • relaxation • recreation • mental health benefits For further information contact Gordon Harper • conservation of local greenspace. Tel: 01555 660190 Email: [email protected].