Hospitals in Woking and surrounding areas were on show in a garden competition.

Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (ASPH) welcomed a judge from RHS Wisley, to help decide the winners of the second annual ASPH in Bloom.

The event encourages staff to create and maintain small areas of hospital sites and is judged every summer. Green spaces support staff wellbeing by giving them an opportunity to take a break from work and get outside and improve hospital environments and encourage local wildlife to thrive.

Woking Community Hospital (WCH) took out two awards, sharing one with Ashford Hospital.

WCH’s courtyard garden won ‘most collaborative garden’ as the outpatient department, dermatology and Central Surrey Health (CSH) Surrey teams collaborated together to develop and maintain it. The same garden was awarded ‘overall best in show’ alongside Ashford’s physio courtyard garden.

Consultant Dermatologist and garden team member Dr Sam Vaughan Jones said: “We were delighted that our garden project at Woking Community Hospital has been awarded the prize for the most collaborative garden.

“It has been a real joint effort with input from several teams at Woking (dermatology, outpatients, reception and the Bedser Hub) including staff from both ASPH and CSH Surrey.

“This garden is overlooked by several departments, we hope it will prove to be a major boost for both staff and patients’ wellbeing in future. We were also thrilled to win joint best in show!”

St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey was the ‘best for visitor wellbeing’ for its wildflower slope garden by the main entrance where visitors can enjoy and it stops children from getting too close to the slope.

Funded by the ASPH Charity, staff had the opportunity to apply for up to £500 to develop outdoor areas across the hospital sites into beautiful green spaces with guidance from RHS Wisley experts.