The purpose of this document is to provide staff with guidance on how to safely transfer patients into an outside environment, with the aim of improving their quality of life and long-term outcomes. It must be used in conjunction with our guidance on the Transfer of the Critically Ill Adult.
A prolonged stay in critical care has far reaching consequences for the patient and their family, causing both long term physical and psychological consequences including (but not limited to) post-traumatic stress disorder, muscle loss, fatigue, and anxiety. Drawing on evidence from public green spaces and other hospital settings, exposure to greener environments is likely to reduce anxiety and stress, common psychological conditions which can develop as a response to a prolonged stay in critical care.
