Hollie Allan first patient in UK rooftop ICU
Hollie Allan, critically ill for two months, became the first patient to use the UK's first outdoor intensive-care unit at King’s College Hospital, experiencing sunlight for the first time in that period. This rooftop ward aims to speed up recovery and improve wellbeing for ICU patients by providing exposure to fresh air and natural light.
A 29-year-old woman emerged from two months in intensive care into sunlight for the first time on Monday, stepping out of a hospital lift onto a brand-new rooftop ward at King’s College Hospital in south London. Still tethered to feeding tubes and life-support machines, Hollie Allan became the first patient to use the UK’s first outdoor intensive-care unit. As the lift doors opened, sunshine bathed her face and tears welled up. “I forgot what it feels like to be outside,” she said, wiping her eyes. “It’s so beautiful.”
The six-bed rooftop ward is the first of its kind in Britain. Each bed has a waterproof box that supplies power and oxygen, and a canopy protects patients while allowing fresh air and natural light. Doctors believe exposure to the outdoors can speed recovery and improve wellbeing, something garden spaces have offered for years—but rarely to patients so critically ill. Hollie, waiting for a heart operation, had been too unwell even to step outside before admission. Now she can spend hours on the roof, weather permitting. “Even if it were thunderstorms, I’d be out here,” she said. “It’s lovely.”
Intensive-care consultant Dr Phil Hopkins says the outdoor ward helps patients readjust after long ICU stays. “We don’t just want to save lives,” he said. “We want to return them to their lives as quickly as we can.” The team will track heart rate, breathing and pain levels to measure whether the rooftop boosts recovery. Garden designer Sarah Price, who worked on the Olympic Park, created the planting scheme. “It’s the antithesis of a hospital ward,” she said.
Hopkins adds that the space could also give staff a break during shifts. With one of the country’s largest ICUs, King’s hopes the rooftop will become a model for other hospitals. For Hollie, the view alone is transformative. “When you’re stuck inside all day there’s no motivation to try and get back to normal,” she said. “You get tired of fighting.” Now, after weeks in a bed, the sky feels like a step toward home.
