This is the moment when a coronavirus patient at Harrogate District Hospital was finally able to enjoy the sun after nearly four months in intensive care.

After much planning and collaboration, the intensive care unit team took the patient to the hospital’s friends’ garden.

The patient, who asked to remain anonymous, was admitted with coronavirus early in January.

Although she still needed the aid of oxygen tanks for last week’s first trip outside, the fresh air boosted her recovery.

Dr Sarah Marsh, who is a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care, said:

“Thankfully they are now at a stage where we are able to safely take them out of the intensive care environment.

“The patient very much enjoyed the visit to the garden to feel the sun on their face, hear the birds, smell the flowers and to look at the sky.

“It also really gave the patient a huge boost and new determination to strive for home.

“She still has a long road ahead in terms of recovery and rehabilitation, but acts like this make such a positive difference in terms of outlook.”

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The NHS has well-established rehabilitation methods but coronavirus has forced doctors and nurses to rethink their methods.

Harrogate District Hospital has said starting rehabilitation early and trips out to the garden are both part of its arsenal for treating coronavirus.

Vera Davison, physiotherapy team leader, said:

“Being able to take this lady outside has been wonderful. It is helping to motivate her and her family too; they can see progress being made.

“Rehabilitation is hard work and slow progress, so any positive steps towards normality are welcomed.

“It’s really heartening to see people getting better while in hospital and also after they’ve gone home. This really helps us to appreciate that our efforts are really worth it.”

Harrogate District Hospital’s intensive care unit has completed a £1 million refurbishment.

The 12-week refurbishment has increased capacity, meaning the unit can now care for 11 patients rather than 10, and created a better environment.

Ross Stewart, a patient on the unit for many weeks in 2020 pre-covid, returned today to cut a ribbon before patients were transferred back in.

The unit was stripped down to its shell and rebuilt. Five of the 11 beds now have their own side rooms.

The hospital’s experience of the pandemic shaped the new design. For instance, the side rooms help to contain infections.

The unit has new TVs, flooring, ceilings and doors. Wall cladding and dimmable lights have been installed, and there are wall murals and LED ceiling panels featuring blue skies, clouds and trees in two of the side rooms.

The more open design means nurses can see all the patients from their station.

Daylight, open space and a clean feel are key features of the new design.

The last 12 months have been unprecedented for hospital staff. ICU staff have been caring for numbers never seen before.

Intensive care consultant Dr Sarah Marsh said:

“This has gone above and beyond what we could have expected. It’s not just about surviving it’s about giving that survivorship some quality and the environment in the ICU plays a huge part in that.

“Something as simple as having more natural light and dimmable lights is very important for the patients. The unit will really help to improve patients’ outcomes for sure.”

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The increase in patients due to covid forced the unit to relocate into a larger ward, which presented the opportunity to refurbish the unit without disturbing patients.

The Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity donated some of the funds for the work, which enabled a relatives’ room to offer a pull-down bed for relatives to stay in.

A Harrogate woman has set an ambitious fundraising target after seeing first-hand the vital work done by NHS staff to treat patients with covid.

Victoria Read is hoping to raise £10,000 for Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity after her father contracted the virus and spent three months in hospital.

During that time, he was placed in an induced coma and on a ventilator for three weeks, and was so unwell at one stage in early December that his family were called into the hospital.

“They were incredible. We’ve never had to call on the NHS in that way before and to have it at such a horrible time and the scenario we were in was awful.

“We were in awe of their work and passion and patience and resilience. They never gave up on him, so he never gave up.”

Victoria’s dad was finally well enough to be moved onto a recovery ward on Boxing Day and came home last week. Though she said his road to full recovery will be long, she has already set to work on her aim of raising money for the hospital which saved his life.

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So far, she has shared her plans with friends, who have donated more than £1,000 in just a few days. Current restrictions mean she can’t hold a normal fundraising event, but to keep the campaign going and reach her target, she is working on a number of ideas.

The first is “say it without flowers”, asking people to consider donating the money they might usually spend on Valentine’s Day to the charity. With so many people affected by coronavirus, or relying on the NHS to continue supporting them in other ways despite the pandemic, she hopes support will flood in to recognise the dedication of NHS staff. She said:

“We wrote letters and left WhatsApp messages for my dad, and the nurses played them to him and read to him. Although it’s 24-hour nursing care, they aren’t just looking at oxygen levels and things – they’re also caring for him, washing him and brushing his hair and making sure his beard is trimmed. The dignity they gave him was incredible.”

She added:

“It takes something like this for you to really understand covid and respect it. Some people are being very cynical about it. I would never wish this on anyone, but I don’t think you can really understand it until you’ve been through it.”

Having been forced to cancel her wedding before her dad fell ill, Victoria said 2020 was “the worst year” for her family. She hopes starting an ambitious project will help to make 2021 more positive, even with lockdown restrictions.

To donate to Victoria’s campaign, click here.