SOUTH LONDON — Hollie Allan, 29, became the first patient to use the new outdoor intensive care rooftop ward at King’s College Hospital in south London. She was transferred to the rooftop space after spending two months in intensive care, marking her first time outside since before her hospital admission.

Allan is awaiting a vital heart operation and had been too ill to go outdoors prior to her hospital stay. On the rooftop ward, she can spend several hours at a time, weather permitting. “I forgot what it feels like to be outside. I’m sorry, it’s so nice. It’s so beautiful,” she said.

The outdoor intensive care ward, located on the fifth floor of King’s College Hospital, is the first of its kind in the U.K. It accommodates six patients and provides each bed with access to power and oxygen via a waterproof box. The space includes canopies, garden areas, scented flowers such as honeysuckle, jasmine, and lavender, and plants including woodland sage, sour cherry tree, bloody crane’s-bill, and sea thrift.

Doctors at the hospital plan to monitor patients’ heart rates, respiratory rates, and pain levels to evaluate whether the outdoor setting aids recovery. Research suggests that exposure to fresh air and nature can boost patient wellbeing and reduce hospital stays. Intensive care staff will also have access to the rooftop during breaks.

Dr. Phil Hopkins, intensive care consultant at King’s College Hospital, said patients who have been “ripped from their reality” benefit from feeling natural elements. “We don’t just want to save lives. We want to return them to their lives as quickly as we can,” he said.

Hospital chief executive Clive Kay hopes the rooftop garden will lead to shorter patient stays and more efficient use of critical care facilities, with potential replication across the NHS. The garden, integrated into the hospital’s 60-bed intensive care unit—one of the largest in the country—cost over £2 million to build and was funded by the hospital’s charity.