Fancy a weekend in Sweden on prescription? The Scandinavian nation has become the first country to launch a medical referral programme where GPs can recommend trips for forest bathing, cold water swimming and sauna sessions as complementary health treatments. Olivia Palamountain reports

Visit Sweden has launched a cheeky destination marketing initiative allowing patients worldwide to request medical referrals from GPs for trips to Sweden.

"Sweden, the First Country Available on Prescription" positions activities such as forest bathing and cold water swimming as complementary approaches to conventional treatments. Medical referral templates and a research-backed list of Swedish experiences reviewed by Yvonne Forsell, senior professor at Karolinska Institutet are available to download here, outlining health effects of activities including cloudberry picking for blood pressure reduction and stargazing to regulate circadian rhythms.

The programme operates within the framework of social prescribing, where healthcare professionals refer patients to non-clinical services including nature activities, arts programmes and community groups. Nature prescriptions have gained traction as preventive healthcare strategies, with the World Health Organisation stating that nature plays a crucial role in human health and wellbeing.

Dr Sam Everington, a London-based GP, says: "Nature, social settings and culture have restorative powers, and evidently, Sweden has these assets in abundance. Though many patients seem not to know that they can initiate this discussion with their doctors, as a physician, I would welcome discussing with my patients how Swedish nature and lifestyle could benefit their health - and am open to prescribing a visit to the country if my patients request it."

A YouGov survey commissioned by Visit Sweden found that 67% of UK medical professionals would recommend Sweden as a travel destination to improve health, whilst over 80% would consider issuing social prescriptions even without patient requests. However, only around 30% of respondents would consider requesting such prescriptions during doctor appointments.Susanne Andersson, chief executive at Visit Sweden, says: "Visiting Sweden is like a natural health remedy. Now doctors from around the world can prescribe a visit to Sweden for the benefit of their patients. Our cosy fika tradition, our 'lagom'-balanced lifestyle and our easily accessible nature feel like balsam to the body and soul."

The programme categorises experiences under three intervention themes: nature, culture and social prescribing. Examples include saunas in Swedish Lapland for sleep quality, cold plunges in the archipelago for circulation and music festivals in Gothenburg to raise serotonin levels. Traditional social prescribing typically connects patients with local resources accessible without significant financial barriers, whilst Swedish tourism requires international travel costs, accommodation and activities. The programme acknowledges this by specifying that patients pay all expenses themselves.

Research indicates that 72% of people across nine countries surveyed remain unaware of nature prescriptions, though 64% said they would follow doctor recommendations to spend time in nature. In the UK specifically, 73% have never heard of social prescriptions, whilst 21% have heard about them but not received one. Only 3% had prescriptions issued by physicians.A systematic review of studies revealed that nature prescription programmes showed evidence of benefits for physical and mental health, though the research does not specifically address international travel for such purposes. Traditional social prescribing in the UK typically refers patients to local nature areas, community activities and arts programmes rather than overseas destinations.

Sweden's natural assets include 69% forest cover, over 100,000 lakes covering almost 9% of land surface, 267,570 islands, 31 national parks and 5,755 nature reserves. With only 3% of land inhabited, Sweden ranks among Europe's most sparsely populated countries. Stockholm features the world's first urban national park and consistently ranks highly for air quality.Dr Everington adds: "We have made great strides in making the social prescription a more integral part of public health in the UK - but there is still so much more to be done. I welcome Sweden's initiative and hope it will help break down institutional and organisational barriers, ultimately benefiting all patients."