Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) looks after patients who are critically ill or in an unstable condition and need constant monitoring and support from highly-trained staff, equipment and medication. There are many reasons why people may need care in the ICU, such as a planned admission following a major operation, or after a sudden illness or accident, such as sepsis or a severe head injury.
We aim to provide a high standard of care to all patients admitted to the ICU, providing patients with the individual care and support they require to aid their recovery and maintain their privacy and dignity at all times. We use a wide range of specialised equipment in the ICU that is not available on the normal hospital ward. This allows very close monitoring of vital body functions and temporary support of those functions that cannot be maintained by the patient themselves.
Medical staff are always present in the unit and there is always at least one consultant on duty to ensure that patients have immediate access to a senior medical opinion.
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford)
The unit is specially staffed, equipped and designed to closely monitor and treat patients who are very unwell, often with life-threatening conditions. As such, nurses provide individual care to one or two patients, together with a multi-disciplinary team led by specialist consultants who regularly reviews and oversees patients.
Our team includes nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, dieticians, auxiliary staff, housekeepers and administrators.
The unit has 14 adult beds, of which six are side rooms, and one paediatric bed.
Where to find us
Level 2, Area K
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford)
Barrack Road
Exeter
EX2 5DW
01392 402424
North Devon District Hospital
Our critical care unit provides care for the most seriously ill patients at North Devon District Hospital. The unit is staffed by a specialist team of consultants, anaesthetists and nursing staff who work with other teams to provide a Devon-wide network of critical care services.
Our unit is able to accommodate 8 patients who have been assessed as requiring intensive care (requiring the highest level of technical and nursing care) or high dependency (requiring a higher level of technical and nursing care than can be provided on a general ward). Once a patient’s condition improves and they are no longer classified as requiring intensive or high dependency care; they are moved onto a normal ward.
Children requiring intensive care may be cared for in this unit or may be cared for in the children’s high dependency unit. Babies are cared for in the special care baby unit – see here
Where to find us
North Devon District Hospital
Raleigh Park
Barnstaple
EX31 4JB
Level 3
01271 322707
Follow up clinics
The Critical Care Follow-up clinic provides support and guidance for those patients who have stayed on the unit for more than three days or where a need to follow up has been identified by a healthcare professional. The clinic is run by a multidisciplinary team including medical, nursing and physiotherapy. Clinics are generally run monthly where staff are available to offer support on-site.
Supporting you
ICU Steps – was founded in 2005 by ex-patients, their relatives and ICU staff to support patients and their families through the long road to recovery from critical illness. There is a lot of useful resources for relatives, patients and children http://www.icusteps.org/
Intensive care Society – has a useful patient and relative section http://www.ics.ac.uk/
Healthtalk – an award-winning charity website, lets you share in other people’s experiences of health and illness. Contains interviews with patients and relatives who have experienced intensive care http://www.healthtalk.org/