The Freeman Hospital (FH)

The Integrated Critical Care Unit (ICCU) at the Freeman has combined intensive care/ therapy unit and high dependency unit that provides state of the art facilities to care for patients from across the north of England following major specialist surgery for the liver, pancreas and kidneys, including transplantation. We also specialise in caring for patients who need major urological, ENT and vascular surgery.

Specialist high dependency care for patients with serious conditions affecting their liver (hepatology) is provided on Ward 12 at the Freeman Hospital.

• Adult Integrated Critical Care Unit  located on ICCU (Ward 37) on Level 3 of the Institute of Transplantation.
• Adult Liver High Dependency  located on Ward 12, Level 5

The regional Cardiothoracic Centre based at the Freeman Hospital provides a full range of intensive and high dependency care for adults and paediatric patients who need urgent and routine major heart and lung surgery, including heart and lung transplants:

• Adult Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit located on Ward 26/26a 
• Adult Cardiothoracic High Dependency Unit on Ward 25a 
• Adult Cardiothoracic Transplant Unit on Ward 27a 
• Paediatric Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for children requiring intensive care 

This 10 bedded unit is equipped with cutting edge technology, providing specialist care for critically ill children undergoing both routine and emergency complex cardiothoracic surgery. In addition the PICU is only one of two centres in the United Kingdom providing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), cardiopulmonary transplantation and the use of ventricular assist devices as a bridge to transplantation.

Children who require our specialist care, are admitted from all over the United Kingdom, and occasionally other parts of Europe.

Training and staff development plays an important part in maintaining a highly skilled and innovative workforce. Both the Medical and Nursing staff are actively encouraged and supported, to enable them to present their work at both National and International conferences.

There are two Cardiothoracic Surgeons, six Intensivists/Anaesthetists and over 80 Nursing Staff providing this specialised care.

The Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)

The Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) is home to the city's Accident & Emergency Department and is a major trauma and neurosurgical centre, so patients with serious head, orthopaedic (including spinal) and other traumatic injuries can be admitted to the Critical Care Unit  for emergency care and treatment, as well as those who require major and complex neurosurgery. The home ventilation service is also based on this unit.

• Adult Critical Care Unit specialising in major neurosurgery or a traumatic injury located on ward 18

The general Critical Care Unit (CCU) at the RVI provides care for patients who have had upper and lower gastrointestinal surgery or reconstructive (plastic) surgery, medical emergencies and women who need special attention following a complex gynaecological procedure or complicated birth. Patients who have suffered extensive burns injuries may be cared for on the CCU at the RVI. When they are well enough, they are transferred to the high dependency area on our Burns Unit, located on Ward 37.

• Adult Critical Care Unit specialising in upper and lower gastrointestinal surgery, plastics and burns located on ward 38

The paediatric intensive care unit has specialised beds for neonatal and paediatric surgery, burns, plastics, neurosurgery, trauma and complex respiratory diseases. It is also the base for the regional paediatric retrieval team.

• Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) located on ward 12