Guidance for hospitals across England to improve outdoor facilities to aid recovery in stroke patients, while supporting Greener NHS commitments, is set to be created through a new research project.
The £20,000 study, funded by The Stroke Association, will investigate how green spaces within hospitals can help reduce patient inactivity, improve mental well-being and experiences, and increase engagement in rehabilitation leading to better recovery.
The two-year research study will monitor how outdoor spaces are used at three stroke units across the UK and gather feedback from patients, families and staff.
Peter Coventry, Professor of Health, Environment and Society at Manchester Met, said: “Integrating green spaces into stroke care has the potential to improve recovery, enhance staff wellbeing, and contribute to more sustainable models of healthcare. This study will generate vital evidence on how hospital environments can support both patient outcomes and the NHS’s wider Green and net-zero commitments.”
The research team will use behavioural mapping to track how patients, visitors and staff use existing green spaces, complemented by in-depth interviews about their experiences.
Findings from the study will create a practical framework for how hospital gardens could be designed and utilised as therapeutic environments for stroke recovery nationwide. The project also supports Greener NHS programme, exploring how hospital green spaces can contribute to NHS sustainability goals while improving patient care.
Dr Scott Thomson, Head of Research at the Stroke Association, said: “We’re proud to be funding this project which was inspired by the Stroke Association’s Garden for Recovery from last year’s Chelsea Flower Show, which is now at Chapel Allerton Hospital in Leeds.
“Physical and mental stimulation are both hugely important for stroke survivors when they are spending time in hospital, particularly in the early stages of recovery. Yet, we do need a better understanding of how green spaces could be part of this. This research will provide valuable insight into how hospital green spaces can be meaningfully and usefully designed so that stroke survivors, their loved ones and stroke professionals can make the most of them.”
The research partners include Manchester Metropolitan University, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and University of Leeds.
