Several different disciplines and healthcare professionals work together to care for patients in our intensive care unit (ICU). 

Administrative team

The first staff member visitors are likely to meet is one of our ward clerks in reception.

They will liaise with the team looking after the patient to make sure it is an appropriate time to visit.

They may ask you to wait if, for example, the patient is receiving treatment or bedside care from a nurse. This is to ensure patient safety, dignity and privacy is maintained. 

Our administrative teams ensure the smooth running of the department by making sure all documentation and data is kept up-to-date and our department is clean and safe.

Advanced critical care practitioner (ACCP)

ACCPs are clinical professionals, usually from a nursing or allied health professional background, who have received further specialist training in critical care.

They work alongside the nurses and doctors to help care for ICU patients.

Doctors

The ICU doctors team is led by a group of ICU consultants.

Doctors make daily plans for patient care and lead on providing organ support, initiating treatments and any investigations. These are often made during a ward round and include the senior nurse and pharmacist. The doctors consider the changing condition of the patient and adjust these plans as needed. 

To ensure all our patients receive the highest level of care, when necessary, we seek advice from other specialist doctors such as surgeons or cardiologists.

Nurses

Our highly specialised ICU nurses will be allocated one or two patients each to care for during their shift. Many patients will always have a nurse with them. 

Bedside nurses undertake key tasks such as setting up, delivering and adjusting organ support; giving medication; and delivering personal care such as washing as well as liaising with families.

They are led by a team of senior nurses and matrons, who help to ensure the smooth running of our ICU.

Healthcare assistants and porters

Healthcare assistants are key to an ICU patient’s care and recovery.

They assist with personal care, pressure area care, mobilisation (movement) and interpersonal communication. They also run blood samples, liaise with the laboratories and retrieve blood products.

We have two porters dedicated to ICU and the high dependency unit. We also use the main hospital porters to transfer patients to and from other departments such as imaging for scans, theatres for surgery or wards. 

The porters also ensure a safe environment with activities such as replacing used oxygen cylinders with full ones.

Dietitians

The ICU dietitians provide advice on the best way to understand and deliver patients’ nutritional needs.

They help decide how to provide nutrition and how much energy, or calories, and protein the patient requires to help reduce the loss of muscle and weight.

The ICU dietitian also contributes to consultant-led ward rounds and multidisciplinary team meetings. They have regular meetings with consultants to share nutritional goals, risks and plans.

Patient at risk and resuscitation team (PARRT)

PARRT is a specialist nursing service which links the ICU to the rest of the hospital.

The team attend all emergency calls and review all patients after they are discharged from the ICU.

Therapies team

Physiotherapists

Physiotherapists are a fundamental part of the multidisciplinary team, and their specialist skills and early involvement are very important for patient recovery.

They work closely with occupational therapists and the rest of the ICU team to build and maintain patients’ physical strength and function after prolonged ventilation, illness, surgery and/or bedrest.

Physiotherapists also help with respiratory management and early rehabilitation for patients. Read more about these treatments and therapies.

Occupational therapists

Occupational therapists help with rehabilitation by helping with the functional, cognitive and psycho-social needs of our patients.

They work with families to help achieve patient-centred goals in recovery.

Speech and language therapists (SALT)

SALTs help to ensure patients recover the ability to speak and eat safely and smoothly.

After spending time in ICU, patients’ voices and their ability to swallow are often affected, particularly if they have spent time on a breathing machine and/or have been fed through a tube in the nose.

Pharmacists

Our pharmacists ensure all medication prescriptions and deliveries for ICU patients are safe and reliable.

They also help to ensure there is enough stock of all the medications needed for the day-to-day running of the unit.

Psychology team

Our psychologists are here to help support the needs of patients and families while they are in the ICU.

They know ICU can be a very stressful place. It is common for patients to feel anxious, down or confused in ICU. Families may also find it a very worrying time. 

The psychology team can help patients and families to cope with difficult experiences such as delirium, uncertainty, end-of-life or bereavement.

Psychological support can help people to get more benefit from their clinical care and rehabilitation.

If we find that patients are still suffering from psychological difficulties when they leave ICU, we may suggest other services to help them in the longer term.

If you have not met one of our psychologists while in ICU, but think this may be helpful, please let the bedside nurse know.