New Delhi: King’s College Hospital in London has made medical history by opening the UK’s first outdoor Critical Care Roof Garden, where critically ill patients can receive life support beneath the open sky. The garden sits right above the hospital’s 60-bed critical care unit.
Opened on 29 May, the garden can house up to six beds. It is designed to keep each patient near a medical cabinet that houses power, data, and oxygen. The cabinets are weatherproof.
The project was made possible primarily through a £2 million donation from King’s College Hospital Charity, with additional funding from the King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. It was designed to improve patient well-being and humanise intensive care by letting seriously ill patients feel fresh air, connect with greenery, and bask in natural light.
“If there had been a roof garden while I was in Critical Care, I think going home wouldn’t have felt so daunting. Just being outside, with your family, in a calm space – that’s part of healing,” said former critical care patient Jackie.
‘A visionary project’
According to administrators at King’s, the initiative could significantly benefit patients who have spent prolonged periods indoors.
“We’re delighted to have funded this visionary project, which is about more than medical excellence. It’s about dignity, humanity, and the healing power of nature. We’re transforming intensive care into compassionate care,” said Iona Joy, Director of Grants and Insight at King’s College Hospital Charity.
Landscape architect Nigel Dunnett and British garden designer Sarah Price collaborated on designing the garden. Price is known for her delicate artistry of plant combinations, and her work has been lauded as ‘painterly’. Dunnett, who was known for creating resilient, wildlife‑rich landscapes, died shortly before King’s Critical Care Roof Garden opened.
The Critical Care team at King’s College Hospital will use the garden to research whether exposure to fresh air, greenery, and sunlight can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve the well-being of patients. It will also study whether contact with nature benefits patients’ families and the staff who care for them.
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