South of England first: 'Secret garden' for ICU patients opens at Derriford Hospital

It's a first of its kind for the south of England - a bespoke 'secret garden' has opened at Plymouth's Derriford Hospital for patients receiving treatment in their Intensive Care Unit.

Thanks to work from staff at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, the bespoke outdoor space enables patients in ICU get the fresh air they need, all in the company of families, loved ones and carers.

They even say it'll give patients the chance to be reunited with their pets, thanks to the safe space happening outside the safe space of a typical hospital environment.

Said to improve patient experience, it also helps them with mood, sleep, and tackle delirium which can happen to people in the controlled environment of an ICU ward.

The bespoke garden room - filled with specialist equipment as well as wide paths, screens, glass walls and a sensory garden - now extends the use of the intensive care unit into the great outdoors.

Sister Kate Tantam - an ICU specialist at Derriford Hospital - said: "I am really lucky -because I get to work with colleagues across the hospital to help make people better every single day.

"The garden has been great because it allows us to think differently and innovatively to improve the patient experience. We know being in hospital is tough, and w if there's anything we can do to make it less tough can only be a good thing.

"No-one wants to be in hospital, and it is my job to help them get back to the things they most want to do - and the garden room helps us to do that by encouraging patients with their recovery journey.

"It usually helps patients also see that there is life after intensive care - because it can be incredibly difficult, and hard to feel your future if you're stuck in hospital for a long period of time."

The idea for the garden

The idea for the garden all came about four years ago.

In 2018, Andrew Heveran, a then ICU patient, asked to go outside to be reunited with his dogs and loved ones during a prolonged hospital stay.

Inspired by Andrew, Sister Kate Tantam set about finding a way to transform a former grey courtyard on level 4 into a functional, outdoor ICU garden space.

She said: “I felt like UHP needed a dedicated space to be adapted for the needs of all ICU patients, to not only provide them with the opportunity to reconnect with the outdoors whilst mitigating the weather, but also improve capacity and prolong visiting times,” explains Kate. “Thanks to the efforts of my colleagues and a wonderful team of volunteers, we began to use the space in 2018 for patient rehabilitation and it has witnessed some really special events, such as birthdays and weddings. The area was particularly important in helping patients to gain a sense of normality during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as providing staff with somewhere to recover from the pressures of looking after critically unwell patients, whilst also wearing full PPE.”

How it's been made possible

All of this has been made possible by generous grants and donations to UHP’s official NHS Charity, including money from NHS Charities Together, as well as a substantial contribution from the Trust. An external team also came together and donated valuable time and resources to help make this project a reality, including the Trust’s Capital Projects team, lead designers Bailey Partnership, engineering consultancy Hoare Lea and Nevada Construction. Despite facing some challenges, all worked collaboratively to design, deliver and build this amazing place within the heart of the hospital.

Kate added: “This project has been close to our hearts for many years now, so it is wonderful to see it finally come to fruition, and we are all really delighted with the outcome,” adds Kate. “These outdoor ICU beds will play a critical role in supporting ICU patients in a secure manner, as well as end-of-life patients too. This garden is set to make a real difference to patients and their loved ones as well as colleagues for years to come.”

Every year, up to 3,000 patients and 6,000 relatives will come through the doors of the ICU at UHP.

You can find out more about the Secret Garden here.

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