An NHS hospital will today become the first in Britain to open a critical care unit on its roof, with the hope that fresh air will accelerate patients' recovery. The garden ward, designed by three-time RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medallist Sarah Price, features room for six beds.
Design and Facilities
Two pass-controlled lifts allow porters to transport patients and their care teams to the new area, which includes both open and covered spaces along with all the life-support equipment staff might need. Located atop King's College Hospital's 60-bed critical care unit in South London, the space 'allows patients to receive full life support whilst feeling the therapeutic benefits of nature'. Aromatic herbs such as rosemary, sage, and oregano have been incorporated alongside native species and tactile plants like lamb's ear, resulting in 'a low-maintenance garden designed to encourage active engagement rather than passive observation'.
Research and Benefits
The critical care team will use the space to research how exposure to fresh air, greenery, and sunlight reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and improves the well-being of patients, their families, and the staff who care for them. Critical care looks after patients with serious and life-threatening conditions, including those on life support. Some admissions are planned, such as after major surgery, but most patients at King's are admitted as emergencies because it is a specialist centre for major trauma, cardiology, and neurosciences.
Fresh Air Therapy
From today, doctors will prescribe 'fresh air therapy' in the roof garden when they think it will be particularly beneficial, or critical care patients can ask staff to take them there. Some will be taken in their beds, while others will be able to walk or use a wheelchair, depending on the stage of their recovery. Patients will not be allowed to sleep on the roof overnight. The garden ward is fully powered and has data connections, allowing constant monitoring of patients and a 'seamless' experience as they move from inside to out.
Dr Tom Best, clinical director of King's Critical Care, said: 'Some of our most unwell patients spend weeks or even months in critical care receiving intensive and often invasive treatment to give them the best chance of recovery. Many experience hallucinations or delirium in the clinical environment, which can be extremely frightening and delay recovery. Research shows that time spent in nature can reduce delirium, improve recovery outcomes, and lift the spirits of patients and their families. It's 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.'
Collaboration and Funding
The garden was designed through a collaboration between garden designer Sarah Price and globally renowned landscape architect Nigel Dunnett, who recently died aged 63. As part of ongoing research, the Critical Care team will study whether accessing the garden improves patient recovery and reduces length of stay, as well as tracking patients' long-term physical, cognitive, and psychological outcomes. There will be an additional focus on how families and staff benefit from using the space, particularly in managing stress levels.
The project was funded by a £2 million donation from King's College Hospital Charity, plus some funding from the Trust. Iona Joy, director of grants and insight at King's College Hospital Charity, said: 'We are delighted to have funded this visionary project, which is about more than medical excellence. It's about dignity, humanity, and innovation. We are transforming intensive care into compassionate care — where science, technology, and empathy work together to save and rebuild lives.'
Professor Clive Kay, chief executive of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'The opening of our roof garden is an important milestone for our hospital; a project dedicated to those with serious and life-threatening conditions. It's been built with purpose and guided by the needs of patients and their families and reflects a deep commitment to dignity, support, and hope.'
