First critical care patients have begun using King's College Hospital's new rooftop garden, a £2 million space built to bring therapeutic outdoor access to intensive care.
Six beds can be taken into the garden, each linked to weatherproof cabinets supplying power, data and medical gases so patients can receive full critical care outside.
The garden crowns the hospital's £65 million, 60-bed Critical Care Centre, which opened in April 2020, and was funded separately by King's College Hospital Charity.
King's will now study whether the space speeds recovery, shortens hospital stays and improves long-term physical, cognitive and psychological outcomes, with NIHR already interested in a possible multi-centre trial.
Doctors said early feedback from patients and families has been strongly positive, reinforcing a wider push to test whether 'fresh air therapy' can reduce stress and support mental health.
Is a £2 million rooftop garden a luxury for hospitals or the future of intensive care?
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Nature Meets Medicine: Evaluating the Impact of the UK’s First Outdoor Critical Care Garden on ICU Patient Outcomes
Overview
King's College Hospital has opened the UK’s first outdoor critical care roof garden, marking a major step in patient recovery by bringing nature into intensive care. This £2 million project, fully funded by the hospital’s charity, was designed by experts Nigel Dunnett and Sarah Price to create a therapeutic environment. The garden allows even the most critically ill patients to safely experience the outdoors while on life support. Research shows that time in nature can improve recovery, and the hospital is now studying how this innovative space benefits patient well-being, recovery times, and overall care experience.