Hollie Allan, 29, is in a hospital lift being transferred out of intensive care for the first time in two months. She’s heading upwards, towards a new outdoor ward on the roof of the hospital.

“Brace yourself for the cold!” say the nurses crowded into the lift around her bed. As the doors open, sunshine hits Hollie’s face.

She brightens into a smile, then tears come. “I’m sorry, it’s so nice. It’s so beautiful,” she says wiping her eyes. “I forgot what it feels like to be outside.”

Still in her hospital bed, connected to feeding tubes and life support, Hollie is the first patient to try out the new intensive care rooftop ward at King’s College Hospital in south London.

The first of its kind in the UK, the outdoor ward has enough space for six patients, who can be connected to power and oxygen supplies housed in a waterproof box next to each bed.

The canopy design means that some of the most seriously ill patients can be cared for safely outdoors, with all the support they need.