{"id":729875,"date":"2026-06-27T20:55:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T20:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/729875\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T20:55:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T20:55:13","slug":"hospital-opens-roof-garden-where-critical-care-patients-can-enjoy-the-outdoors-for-hours-with-full-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/729875\/","title":{"rendered":"Hospital Opens Roof Garden Where Critical Care Patients Can Enjoy the Outdoors for Hours With Full Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The King\u2019s Critical Care Roof Garden \u2013 Courtesy King\u2019s College Hospital<\/p>\n

A hospital in south London opened a garden on its rooftop where Critical Care patients can spend hours in the fresh air and sunlight.<\/p>\n

ICU patients visiting the rooftop garden receive \u201cfull life support\u201d while experiencing the therapeutic benefits of the natural surroundings.<\/p>\n

Located on top of the hospital\u2019s 60-bed critical care unit, King\u2019s College Hospital says their roof garden has space for up to six beds.<\/p>\n

The best part is that each patient can be safely cared-for\u2014without being disconnected from essential life-support systems.<\/p>\n

Six specially-designed weatherproof cabinets keep the patients close to power, data, and medical gas supplies, just like they would receive on the unit.<\/p>\n

The hospital\u2019s team will also be able to research how exposure to fresh air, greenery and sunlight can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve the well-being of patients\u2014and the families and staff who care for them.<\/p>\n

\"\"Weather-proof medical box provides life support on the King\u2019s Critical Care Roof Garden \u2013 Courtesy King\u2019s College Hospital<\/p>\n

Dr. Tom Best, Clinical Director of King\u2019s Critical Care, said many of their patients spend weeks or even months receiving intensive care\u2014and research shows that time spent in nature can improve recovery outcomes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to treat the whole person and this outdoor critical care unit helps meet our goal of caring for the mind as well as the body,\u201d he said in a media release<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Iona Joy, Director of Grants at the King\u2019s College Hospital Charity, said the garden\u2014the first of its kind in the UK\u2014is about dignity, humanity, and innovation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are transforming intensive care into compassionate care\u2014where science, technology, and empathy work together to save and rebuild lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re stuck inside all day there\u2019s no motivation to try and get back to normal life,\u201d said Holly, who is waiting for a vital heart operation and spends hours at a time on the outdoor ward.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if it was thunderstorms, I\u2019d be out here,\u201d she told the BBC<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s lovely.\u201d<\/p>\n

The garden designers, landscape architect Nigel Dunnett\u2014a professor at the University of Sheffield\u2014and Sarah Price\u2014a three-time winner of the Chelsea Flower Show\u2014formed a planting strategy.<\/p>\n

\"\"The King\u2019s Critical Care Roof Garden from above \u2013 Courtesy King\u2019s College Hospital<\/p>\n

Aromatic species, including rosemary, sage, and oregano, were incorporated alongside native species and tactile plants, such as lamb\u2019s ear, to actively encourage engagement rather than passive observation.<\/p>\n

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The low-maintenance garden has become a vital extension of the King\u2019s Critical Care Centre, which supports over 5,000 patients and 15,000 loved ones\u202feach year.<\/p>\n

As part of the research for the department, the Critical Care team will study patients\u2019 long-term outcomes, with an additional focus on how families and staff benefit from using the space, particularly in managing stress levels.<\/p>\n

Professor Clive Kay, Chief Executive of King\u2019s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, says the roof garden is dedicated to those with serious and life-threatening conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been built with purpose and guided by the needs of patients and their families\u2014and reflects a deep commitment to dignity, support, and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

SHARE THIS AMAZING IDEA With Hospital Workers and Friends on Social Media\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The King\u2019s Critical Care Roof Garden \u2013 Courtesy King\u2019s College Hospital A hospital in south London opened a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":729876,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[41782,230,12224,97,9447,1150,259,7221,2761,673],"class_list":["post-729875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-alternative-medicine","tag-architecture","tag-gardening","tag-health","tag-hospitals","tag-london","tag-mental-health","tag-nature","tag-uk","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/729875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=729875"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/729875\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/729876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=729875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=729875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=729875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}