A new framework for “creative health” approaches in health care is to be developed by NHS England working in partnership with integrated care systems locally.
Creative activities such as music, art, gardening and singing can, for example contribute to the management of stress and anxiety as well as improve the lives of people with dementia.
Welcoming the decision Lord Howarth, chair of the National Centre for Creative Health, said that it had an important part to play in personalised care.
“Practitioners have been applying this approach for years past and there is an increasing evidence base showing measurable and cost-effective benefits from such creative interventions, as part of a holistic and preventative approach,” he said.