Garden revamped at palliative care unit

A garden at a palliative care unit in Nottingham has been renovated to make it more accessible for wheelchair users and patients in hospital beds.

Hayward House at Nottingham City Hospital will officially open its new facility on Tuesday.

The work - which took about three months to complete - has been designed to make the garden easier for patients and visitors to move around.

Nigel Gregory, chief executive of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said he was "delighted" with the results, which he said would provide respite for people undergoing treatment.

"If you're in Hayward House you're not very well at all, you're in for palliative care, and so providing access for patients in [hospital] beds is really important," he said.

"When all you're looking at is a hospital wall and machines, it's not a very helpful environment - you do not feel relaxed, and it can lead to a degree of anxiety, and just being able to open the doors and get outside is a huge relief for people.

"The effects of nature [and] the outside spaces on mental health and wellbeing are well researched and well proven, and that's not just for the patients and the families, it's for the staff as well."

More than 1,000 patients a year are treated at Hayward House, which treats people with life-limiting illnesses.

The Hayward House Appeal began in spring 2022 and runs until 2025, with more than £1m raised so far towards a target of £1.5m.

Mr Gregory said they hoped to renovate the front entrance of the building with some of the funds, as well as helping to provide bereavement counselling and support services.

"It's been funded by all the people of Nottingham, so we're really proud to be able to do that with the support of the community," he said.

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