Look at this - intensive care ward on the hospital roof!

That sounds horrendous. It’s terrible that you were treated that way when compassion should have been shown.

I hope you are doing ok now.

I absolutely concur re your observations of noise, lights, staff .. and all to the detriment of sleep. After one of my suicide attempts I was kept in an observation ward just off a&e hooked up to a drip for two whole days, I got virtually no sleep at all and had to make my way home on my own at about 3am the second day more miserable and suicidal than ever. It was pure torture, the lights and noise especially. Plus I heard some of the nurses saying cruel things, about myself and the young woman in the next bed. That hospital’s only bit of nature is still the weeds around the smokers under the No Smoking In This Hospital sign!

B said:

I've regularly visited 2 major hospitals in my area last year and this. 

They each have gardens one specially created around a cancer unit.

It’s encouraging to learn of more gardens.

TheCatWoman said:

It looked wonderful, being stuck inside for days or weeks with no fresh air is horrible, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they see a decrease in pain and an uptick in general well being.

Last year I had to persuade a doctor in a hospital to let someone (long term in a room in an isolation ward) who was severely immunocompromised visit a hospital garden occasionally. 

He has told me that he thinks he would have gone mad without those times out of the room in nature.

ArchaeC said:

The facility was built around a central garden courtyard that had trees growing up to the top floor. Each floor had broad garden balconies which connected to the tall courtyard trees. There were electric sockets for beds for and medical equipment which enabled patients to be ‘plugged in’ outside in the garden

Wonderful. 

I've regularly visited 2 major hospitals in my area last year and this. 

They each have gardens one specially created around a cancer unit.

Marianne72 said:

I wonder if they'll ever allow flowers and plants to be brought into hospital wards again. The joy might possibly outweigh infection risks, except in severe cases.

I don't think so.

There is a very real risk from them even for patients who are not immunocompromised.

It looked wonderful, being stuck inside for days or weeks with no fresh air is horrible, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they see a decrease in pain and an uptick in general well being.

I spent weeks as a patient in a new build cancer centre years ago. The facility was built around a central garden courtyard that had trees growing up to the top floor. Each floor had broad garden balconies which connected to the tall courtyard trees. There were electric sockets for beds for and medical equipment which enabled patients to be ‘plugged in’ outside in the garden. It felt marvellous to be outside and it lifted my mood.

Hospitals are such unnatural environments. The patients who need sleep the most are kept awake by lighting, noises, night staff doing what they have to do and food doesn’t even meet the government’s own healthy eating guidelines. I think all hospitals should be designed to minimise disruption to the circadian rhythms of patients and they should have access to outdoor gardens.

Some of the older hospitals had gardens. I remember years ago when my Mum was in hospital going out into a garden with her. I think this is particularly helpful for long stay patients. There was something on the news the other day about patients with high needs finding a small room difficult as a permanent situation. That particular one I think was a young lady. There was a window looking out to another bit of building, but not where she could see. 

I saw that this morning and it gave me great joy. I know it's just a few beds currently, but hopefully they see great results and it gets rolled out to more hospitals.