A GP practice is ‘prescribing’ 5km runs to its patients as part of an innovative new health scheme.

Springfields Medical Centre has become Warrington’s first Parkrun Practice, a partnership between the popular weekly 5km runs and the Royal College of General Practitioners.

It is hoped that pointing patients in the direction of the jogs will help to prevent health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and depression.

Angela Evans, healthcare assistant at the Bath Street Health and Wellbeing Centre-based surgery, said: “I’ve been doing Parkrun for two years, and I’m always trying to promote it to my patients when I can.

“I absolutely love it and it really has done me the world of good.

“What we’re trying to do now is to use Parkrun as a prescription.

“The NHS is in the state its in, and we’re trying to encourage more patients to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.

“By inviting them along to Parkrun, it will promote both their physical and mental health.

“For all aspects of your health, it’s such a good thing - it brought my own blood pressure down, for example.”

The scheme will launch during the Parkrun at Victoria Park at 9am on Saturday, August 18.

Angela added: “This is something that the Royal College of General Practitioners is running in partnership with Parkrun, and we’re the first practice in Warrington that has registered for it.

“We do already refer patients to Livewire services which are fantastic, but there is a small charge involved.

“For patients who are on benefits, for example, this could put them off exercising but Parkrun is a completely free event for them to take part in.

“As well as our patients, we also want to highlight this to other surgeries in the town.

“We’ve already got lots of members of our staff signed up and we’re encouraging patients to do the same.”