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Green spaces and better health

Posted By KennethCountyAntrim

"Green spaces and better health"

About: Braid Valley Hospital and Ballymena Health and Care Centre Northern Health & Social Care Trust

(as a service user),

I think it is a well-established truism that patients benefit from seeing greenery: shrubs, flowers, grass. At least that must have been the thinking when they designed the new Health Centre, Cushendall Rd, Ballymena. A small, inner garden with clipped box and wild grasses sits beside the coffee bar and Podiatry and Out Patients.

But over time, this little garden has been abandoned ... looks abandoned, looks sad. I wrote to UserFeedback at the Northern Trust, to the head of Estates ... several times, but there was no reply. I also pointed out the NIPSA signs tied to trees that border the Health Centre car parks ... the signs and some of the trees have been vandalised and what is left benefits no one, just like the abandoned garden.

Lack of funding; other priorities ? ... surely volunteers could be encouraged to take the garden in hand. I wonder what the head of Estates thinks.

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Responses

Response from Sarah Arthur, Patient Client Experience Facilitator, Patient Experience, Northern Health and Social Care Trust 2 months ago
We are preparing to make a change
Sarah Arthur
Patient Client Experience Facilitator, Patient Experience,
Northern Health and Social Care Trust

Submitted on 07/08/2025 at 09:27
Published on Care Opinion at 12:38

picture of Sarah Arthur

Hi KennethCountyAntrim,

Firstly I want to apologise for the delay in posting this response.

My name is Sarah Arthur, Patient Client Experience Facilitator in the Trust. I am posting this response on behalf of Scott Corkin, Head of Service for Estates -

I would like to thank you for your comments regarding BHCC internal courtyard. I would agree that the courtyard had unfortunately become a bit unsightly and uncared for over the winter months. This has been raised with my staff and relevant teams and I can confirm that a plan will be put in place to bring the courtyard back to life and make it a usable space once again.

I can also confirm that damaged union signs have been removed from the site.

Thank you for your communication.

Kind Regards

Scott

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by KennethCountyAntrim (a service user)

Hello!

I attended my GP’s surgery this week and couldn’t resist having a peep at the courtyard garden. Yes, it has been tidied up after a fashion, but I think the trust is missing the point. This courtyard garden was obviously intended to be part of the complex, not just an afterthought or token greenery. Why is this garden area never used; no one sits in it; there are no bird feeders; the planting doesn’t change with the season … spring bulbs are low maintenance. Like much of this huge complex, it is an empty space.

And the Union signs? Look again, they are still there, as are the vandalised trees. This is a publicly-funded site and the political positions of the unions should not be a permanent fixture.

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