The benefits of care farms

growing number of GPs are learning about the benefits of care farms for their patients, says NHS Alliance Chairman, Dr Michael Dixon. Now that GPs "can prescribe whatever is needed" to ensure a patient's health, care farms are likely to become hotspots for treatment in much the same way as patients are being referred to gyms and leisure centres for exercise on prescription, he tells. While there is no national framework for care farms, Dixon explains "Care farms represent truly original thinking outside the box - They are a well trodden path to help conditions such as drug and alcohol addiction, depression and other sometimes intractable problems where conventional treatment has failed."

As one of the newest concepts in UK healthcare, care farms are learning lessons from Europe - they are well established in the Netherlands and Italy. In the Netherlands, appropriate patients can choose whether to accept medication or go to a care farm - a system that Dr Dixon says should be adopted here.

"We have always known that caring for animals and caring for the land has genuine therapeutic value," he says. "This initiative is often cheaper and safer than conventional ways of treating some patients. Now we need local and national government to give their backing too."

Debbie Wilcox, Network Coordinator of the National Care Farming Initiative (UK), explains that care farming is an embryonic, but growing movement in the UK. The National Care Farming Initiative is currently compiling a directory of farms that are providing health, education or welfare services. Wilcox says, "There is currently no one standard model or progamme, the farms work with a variety of clients in a variety of ways." Care farms work with groups including young people with autism, young offenders, and people who are recovering from addictions. The care farms can provide anything from therapeutic learning environments to qualifications that can lead on to employment, Wilcox tells.

Research carried out by the University of Essex finds there are already more than 43 care farms in the UK. While most do not offer residential care, 13 care farms do. The research shows that of those visiting care farms 93 per cent have learning difficulties, 60 per cent are disaffected youth, 53 per cent have mental health needs and 51 per cent have autism.