Developing creative health provision: Policy briefing, No. 1, Sept 2023

There is a rapidly increasing evidence base showing the value of creative community-based activities as a credible alternative for improving health and wellbeing. Creative health concerns the use of non-medical community-based provision to aid better health and wellbeing. This includes the creative arts, physical activities including sports and outdoor and nature-based activities. Over 50% of cases presented at GP surgeries are the result of social rather than medical conditions [REF]. Within a context of over stretched resources across the Health Sector including long waiting lists, there is a clear rationale for support and wide-spread adoption of creative health approaches which offer a more appropriate and cost-effective alternative to medical provision.