General practitioners' views on green social prescribing in Scotland: analysis of a national cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND

Green social prescribing (GSP) aims to link patients to nature-based health interventions (NBHIs) through general practitioners (GPs). However, knowledge of GPs' views on GSP is limited.

AIM

To explore GPs' views on GSP and the factors influencing these views.

DESIGN & SETTING: National cross-sectional survey of GPs' working lives in Scotland, conducted in 2023, which included four questions about GSP.

METHOD

Descriptive analysis of GPs' views of GSP and univariate and multivariate (binary logistic) analysis of factors influencing these views.

RESULTS

80% (=1098) of GPs had heard of GSP, 81% (=1160) would be happy to refer patients to NBHIs, 68% (=931) thought GSP was suitable for older multimorbid patients, and 44% (=599) felt that patients living in deprived areas would access GSP.Greater knowledge of GSP was associated with white ethnicity (aOR 2.04; CI 1.30-3.22, =0.002) and the number of clinical sessions worked per week (aOR 0.90; CI 0.82-0.99, =0.034). Higher job satisfaction was associated with more positive views about the suitability of GSP for older multimorbid patients (aOR 1.14 CI 1.00-1.30; =0.043) as were views on whether patients living in deprived areas would access GSP (aOR 1.20; CI 1.06-1.45, =0.013). GPs working in deprived areas also had more positive views whether patients living in deprived areas would access GSP (aOR 1.24; CI 1.06-1.45, =0.008).

CONCLUSION

GPs in Scotland are aware of and willing to refer to GSP but have concerns about accessibility for patients from deprived areas. Views were influenced by personal and practice characteristics.