The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare is delighted to announce the start of a new project with the Canal & River Trust, the charity which cares for 2,000 miles of waterway in England and Wales. This will involve designing pilot studies to measure the mental health benefits for people using waterways. The project will include a literature review of existing research in this area and collaborate with specialist researchers to assess potential methodologies and understand research gaps. We will also undertake a review of local health policy documents and will involve healthcare professionals in order to develop a full understanding of the mental health priorities of areas which are close to waterways and identify the health outcomes to be measured.
Links will be made with local GPs and commissioning groups to ensure that appropriate referrals into potential pilot programmes can be made for people in each area who would most benefit.
“We are excited about this new opportunity to collaborate with the Canal & River Trust to investigate the health benefits and outcomes of particular ways of using canals and rivers. It is crucial to ensure that the health sector understands the benefits that come from the natural environment, and that our health system plays its part in enabling people who need it most to access those benefits.” Rachel Stancliffe, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.
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