TREE PLANTING AT THE ORCHARD PARTNERSHIP GP SURGERIES

The Orchard Partnership and their staff team have recently completed a fruit tree planting project across their 4 GP surgery sites around Salisbury.

The project has seen over 70 fruit trees planted which have a range of long-term benefits.

This was a real accomplishment for the small team of dedicated staff volunteers, who braved the January and February chill to ensure the trees were planted at just the right time to ensure their long-term growth and be ready for the new Spring season.

The tree planting is part of an England-wide project which has seen over 133,000 trees planted since the project's inception in 2009, as part of a collaboration with NHS England and the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (CSH).

The team, led by James Druce (Head of Sustainability for the Orchard Partnership), shared that planting these trees is all about having a holistic and broader vision to our community’s long-term healthcare.

As the NHS continues to face mounting clinical pressure across England, and in an evolving picture, James shared that lots of exciting things are happening regarding sustainable healthcare in the NHS.

Projects such as this are helping mitigate ecological damage and improve the natural environment for future generations. James said, “Carbon reduction is critical for ensuring the possibility of the quality of life we all aspire to live with as we become an aging population in England, because excessive carbon in our atmosphere is having a proven detrimental impact on our planet and directly on our health.

"With projects like this, we’re showing that we can all make a difference – and you don’t need to have a big budget or specialist skills – planting trees is a brilliant way to make a difference which will last for the generations to come, and we get to the enjoy the fruits of our hard work with the seasons now – it’s brilliant!”

The GP surgeries plan to share the fruit with their staff and local community, hoping it inspires other projects as well, from community kitchens to acts of neighbourly kindness – having free, local fruit is expected to be a great way to bring people together.

NHS Forests, which spearheaded this project, helps by providing the trees, accessing resources, and equipping local teams with training to plant the trees successfully.

NHS clinical studies show that enhancing the natural environment benefits both patient and staff wellbeing and that planting trees in healthcare settings has also improved recovery times from illnesses and reduced painkiller use in certain circumstances.

This could potentially help save the NHS millions of pounds, as these small improvements do add up in the country’s balance books.

It's hoped that by planting these trees in key areas (such as a hillside at one of their sites), the GP surgery hopes to not only improve soil stability, but also slow down rapid ground water movement, which in turn will help to reduce local flooding risks and improve the ecological biodiversity of the area.