Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Amputee Garden features on Gardeners’ World

In the most recent BBC2 episode of Gardeners’ World, there was a feature in respect of the award winning garden project at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London. The project, run from the Lambeth Community Care Centre and as part of the amputee rehabilitation unit, supports patients recovering from amputation to be physically and mentally active.

There are many NHS amputation rehabilitation units around the country providing vital services to amputees but what sets Guy’s and St Thomas’ apart is their innovative approach, tapping into the therapeutic benefits of gardening and the outdoors.

The amputee rehabilitation unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital supports more than 100 amputee patients a year to mobilise and learn skills to be able to live independently. The garden has been designed for wheelchair and amputee use and the patients are encouraged to spend time in the garden as part of their therapy and rehabilitation.

The patients at the Lambeth Community Care Centre are encouraged to move from wheelchairs to prosthetics to take part in the garden activities. The rehabilitation unit provides intensive therapy, medical and psychological support to those who have undergone lower or upper limb amputations, whilst tending to and nurturing the wildlife in the garden.

Weekly gardening sessions are held by staff which include sowing plants and herbs, preparing and reseeding the soil watering and harvesting produce. These particular activities encourage the amputees with reaching, standing and balancing. The garden project hopes to foster adaptation to environments outside of the rehabilitation unit.

Amputee patients often have to go back to basics, with their rehabilitation being tailored to each individual’s needs. What however unites all amputees is the desire to make the fullest possible recovery and regain as much independence as they can be. Amputees work closely with physiotherapists and occupational therapists with the aim of adapting and relearning the skills for as many of their normal activities as possible. Amputee patients are usually taught exercises to strengthen the muscles in the remaining limb to improve their general energy levels, so they are able to cope better with the demands of an artificial limb.

This may involve them either being an inpatient at a hospital or frequent hospital visits over a lengthy period of time and this will take an emotional toll on patients. For the patients involved in the garden project, they get to spend time closer to nature, in a more natural, holistic environment. There is a lot to be said for being outdoors, rather than being stuck in the clinical environment of a hospital ward.

The loss of a limb can have a considerable psychological impact. Many people who have had an amputation report emotions such as grief and bereavement, similar to experiencing the death of a loved one. Coming to terms with the psychological impact of an amputation is therefore just as important as coping with the physical demands. The garden project not only helps the amputees with their physical changes but their mental wellbeing too.

The half-acre area was designed in 1985 to provide a therapeutic outdoor space for patients to enable and support their healing process. Many patients have commented on how helpful the garden has been in their recovery and how it has empowered them to reach their potential. One patient said “The garden unit is a lifeline.  Spending so long in a clinical environment takes its toll.” The garden enables patients to feel proud when showing their friends and families what they have grown and achieved during their rehabilitation.

As a clinical negligence department who frequently works with amputees, it is wonderful to see such an innovative approach to rehabilitation and we can only hope that more NHS Trusts follow the inspirational example of Guy’s and St Thomas and embrace the concept of green space for health.