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New outdoor space for critically ill patients opens

Adele WilkinsonLeicester
Glenfield Hospital Image shows the new outdoor space at Glenfield Hospital. At the front of the image there is a brown wooden bench. Behind it are some stones and there is a green plant to the right of the bench in a large grey plant pot. In the middle of the stoned area is a brown wooden box, on top of which sits 2 brown straw animal sculptures. In front of those there is another green plant in a large grey plant pot. In the background, there is a tall blue plant pot with another green plant in. To the left of that plant are 2 tall wooden panels with patterns on them. In front of that there is a flowerbed with a variety of different coloured flowers. There are then two trees in the background with lighting in them and a pathway which leads to 2 other wooden seats. Glenfield Hospital
The new courtyard allows critically ill patients and their families to spend some time in the fresh air

A new accessible courtyard designed to be a safe place for critically ill patients has opened at Glenfield Hospital.

The space below the hospital's adult intensive care unit is designed to give patients a space to feel a sense of normality during their recovery, a spokesperson for University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) said.

Families and staff thanked Leicester Hospitals Charity and The Rotary Club of Leicester, who were behind the development.

Deputy sister Anthea Brookes-Elbaz said: "As a critical care sister, I know how important it is to create opportunities for patients to step away from the clinical environment and experience fresh air, natural light and a sense of normality."

In July 2025, phase one of the project was completed when a £50,000 funding bid through Leicester Hospitals Charity to reconfigure the outdoor space was successful.

This year, a £10,000 gift from The Rotary Club of Leicester helped to take the project further.

This funding has gone towards specialist transfer equipment, which supports patient safety when moving from the ward to the outdoor space.

It also went towards seating for patients and families, sensory planting and greenery, garden maintenance and new pathways.

As well as this, the garden allows patients who are most critically ill to have access to the space, including those on ventilators and those receiving life support.

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