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A new garden for terminally ill patients and their families is being used by patients at a Surrey hospital.

The Time Garden at Frimley Park Hospital has been designed by celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin.

It was funded through the Department of Health and the King's Fund grant as part of their Enhancing the Healing Environment programme.

Mary Hayes, lead nurse for cancer and palliative care and project leader, said the idea came from a patient.

'Seclusion and privacy'

The courtyard garden has been specially designed to enable easy movement of bed-bound patients and provide as much privacy for them as possible.

The glass-fronted pavilion provides shelter and houses tea and coffee-making facilities and a hi-fi system.

It also benefits from a separate small private garden area of its own providing even greater seclusion and privacy while still offering a view of the rest of the garden.

"We are very pleased with the end result. It is the only garden of its kind in the country," Ms Hayes said.