By Nadia Mohamed. Nadia is about to graduate medical school and start her Foundation Programme training.
As a medical student, nature was never something I immediately associated with healthcare. Throughout my years studying medicine, the relationship between green space and health was rarely explored in depth. Yet during clinical placements, I began to notice how important hospital gardens were for both patients and staff. These spaces offered moments of calm and comfort within otherwise stressful environments. Observing this made me question how much healing extends beyond medication and procedures and whether medical students should be taught more about the role green spaces play in health and recovery.
Why green space matters in healthcare
Green spaces are natural or planted environments that allow people to connect with nature, stay active and improve their overall wellbeing. Research links spending time in these environments with a range of positive health outcomes including lower stress levels, improved mental health, enhanced social interaction and reduced rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease and respiratory illness (1)(2)(3)(4). Furthermore, urban green spaces such as parks and tree-lined streets have been associated with higher physical activity, longer life expectancy and lower overall mortality rates (2)(3).
These benefits are particularly relevant in healthcare. Exposure to natural environments has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and fatigue, while also supporting emotional wellbeing and cognitive recovery in patients undergoing neurological rehabilitation, such as stroke recovery (4)(5)(6). Even brief exposure to nature during hospital stays can have small but meaningful benefits, particularly in reducing patient anxiety and pain (6) and potentially reducing hospital stays (7).
Beyond patient outcomes, green space also has implications for healthcare staff. Hospital green spaces help reduce staff burnout by providing peaceful areas where employees can relax and recover from stress. The “Space to Breathe’ study found that more than 80% of healthcare staff wanted to spend more time in hospital green spaces, with regular use linked to higher wellbeing levels (8).
From a broader healthcare perspective, investing in green spaces may support a more preventative approach to healthcare by improving public health and reducing long-term pressure on healthcare services (3).
Why should medical students learn about green space?
It is fair to question why medical students should prioritise green space given the already overwhelming workload with lectures, exams, placements and endless content to learn. Yet to me, this is exactly why it matters. Healthcare extends far beyond hospitals, prescriptions and clinical guidelines. As future doctors, our role is not only to treat disease but also to understand the environments that support people to heal, cope and stay well. Medical training places strong emphasis on diagnosis and management, while these skills remain essential, it can sometimes mean that the environmental and social factors that influence health and recovery are overlooked. Although green spaces may seem simple, they can positively influence mental health, physical activity, stress levels and overall wellbeing (2).
In a profession where burnout and emotional exhaustion are increasingly recognised, this issue is relevant not only for patients but for healthcare workers too. Teaching medical students about green space and sustainable healthcare could help broaden how we think about patient care whilst also highlighting ways of protecting our own wellbeing as future doctors. This does not mean replacing core clinical teaching but instead reinforces that prevention and wellbeing are central to the future of healthcare.
Personal connection to green space matters
The reason this topic matters to me is quite personal. Moving from London to study in Norwich exposed me to a much greener environment and I quickly noticed its positive impact on my wellbeing. Compared to the area I grew up in, Norwich offered greater access to large parks, trails and open green spaces as well as noticeably cleaner air and a calmer atmosphere. Spending more time surrounded by nature helped reduce my stress levels during medical school and encouraged me to spend more time outdoors. Before moving to Norwich, I was not someone who enjoyed long walks, but living in a greener environment changed this for me. This experience also made me reflect more on health inequalities. I became increasingly aware that access to green space is not equal across different communities, with people living in more deprived areas often having fewer opportunities to benefit from natural environments (9). Realising that this reflected my own experience growing up in London strengthened my interest in the relationship between environment, wellbeing and healthcare. It also reinforced my belief that conversations around green space should form part of how future healthcare professionals think about prevention and public health.
Ultimately, learning about green space encourages us medical students to think more holistically about medicine. Patients are not simply collections of symptoms or diagnoses, they are shaped by the communities and environments around them. Understanding this can help future doctors adopt a more thoughtful, compassionate and preventative approach of care.
References
- Twohig-Bennett C, Jones A. The Health Benefits of the Great outdoors: a Systematic Review and meta-analysis of Greenspace Exposure and Health Outcomes. Environmental Research [Internet]. 2018 Oct;166(1):628–37. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935118303323
- Bird W. NATURAL FIT Can Green Space and Biodiversity Increase Levels of Physical Activity? [Internet]. 2004 [Accessed 16 May 2026 ]. Available from: https://www.centreforecotherapy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/natural_fit_.pdf
- Rojas-Rueda D, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Gascon M, Perez-Leon D, Mudu P. Green spaces and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. The Lancet Planetary Health. 2019;3(11):e469–77.
- Geary RS, Thompson DA, Garrett JK, Mizen A, Rowney FM, Song J, et al. Green and blue space and mental health [Internet]. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Institute for Health and Care Research; 2023. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597114/
- New research on green spaces to boost stroke patients’ recovery – Academic unit for Ageing & Stroke Rehabilitation [Internet]. Ageingstrokeresearch.org. 2025 [Accessed 16 May 2026 ]. Available from: https://ageingstrokeresearch.org/new-research-on-green-spaces-to-boost-stroke-patients-recovery/
- Keegan Guidolin, Jung F, Hunter S, Yan H, Englesakis M, Verderber S, et al. The Influence of Exposure to Nature on Inpatient Hospital Stays: A Scoping Review. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal. 2024 Jan 30;17(2).
- Hall R, Davis L, Bourne A, et al. Impact of nature visibility on length of stay in the intermediate care unit: a quality improvement projectBMJ Leader Published Online First: 31 December 2025. doi: 10.1136/leader-2025-001298
- Forest N. Space to Breathe: Study shows value of NHS green space for staff wellbeing – NHS Forest [Internet]. NHS Forest. 2020. Available from: https://nhsforest.org/blog/news/space-to-breathe-study-shows-value-of-nhs-green-space-for-staff-wellbeing/
- Manley J. Inequality and green space – can we talk? – Earth Trust [Internet]. Earth Trust. 2020. [Accessed 15 May 2026] Available from: https://earthtrust.org.uk/inequality-and-green-space-can-we-talk/
Banner image shows Southmead Hospital. Photo: Vicki Brown / Centre for Sustainable Healthcare 2021. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).