Nature and Health

Tracey Bleakley, Chief Executive of Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, writes for Future Countryside.

I first realised the role nature plays in healthcare when I started working in hospices. 
 
If you think of a hospice, chances are that vision includes a beautiful garden.  It makes sense that exposure to natural environments such as gardens, sunlight, fresh air, or even nature imagery can significantly reduce stress, anxiety, and pain. Research shows that even brief contact with natural settings can lower cortisol levels, stabilise heart rate, and improve mood, encouraging relaxation and emotional healing.
 
Whenever I sat down and talked to patients, the first thing they mentioned was their joy at just sitting and watching the garden, you could see their faces light up.  For those facing life-limiting illnesses, nature provides a connection to something greater than themselves. Whether it’s listening to birdsong, feeling a breeze, or watching leaves rustle, these sensory experiences ground us in the present moment, fostering mindfulness and reducing fear of the unknown.
 
Hospice gardens are also important for families and friends, offering a peaceful space for reflection, grieving, and respite. A quiet garden or a view of trees can make difficult conversations easier and promote emotional closeness.  Garden volunteers who have experienced bereavement value the community, teamwork and routine as a means of managing their grief.  Staff also appreciate the cycle of life that gardens display every year, the sense that life follows death, and that renewal can be positive and beautiful.
 
For palliative care, these benefits are especially valuable, but why restrict all this to the end of a person’s life?  Increasingly we are building green spaces and nature into our community and acute hospitals, and we are seeing the benefits.
 
Incorporating nature into care environments—through garden spaces, natural light, or calming sounds enhances quality of life, dignity, and holistic care. There’s emerging evidence to show that it also extends life beyond what we would expect in a busy, indoor hospital setting.  Ultimately, nature offers gentle support when words and medicine fall short, reminding us of life’s cycles and the healing power of presence.

Tracey Bleakley, along with Kathy Willis (professor of biodiversity at Oxford University) and James Bethell (former health minister) will be discussing how the natural environment can improve health outcomes at Future Countryside 2025.

Register here for the livestream of Future Countryside 2025 and be part of the conversation shaping the countryside of the future.