General Critical Care

General critical care at UHCW is both an exciting and challenging place to work due to the complex and specialist needs of our patients. Our patient base is very diverse, with elective or emergency admissions including:

  • Polytrauma patients from around the region as UHCW is a level 1 major trauma centre.
  • Patients requiring neuro radiological interventions, as UHCW is a regional centre for neurosurgery.
  • Surgical, Medical, orthopaedic and Obstetric patients.

The General Critical Care (GCC) Unit has thirty beds and manages over 1600 admissions per year. Critical care is an excellent learning environment and a very rewarding place to work. We have a team in excess of 150 nurses who all strive to provide the best possible evidence based care for our patients and support to their loved ones. The department provides a number of opportunities for staff wishing to join the team.

The background of our ten critical care consultants is predominantly anaesthesia but include acute medical specialties.  These consultants manage the GCC, caring for acutely unwell medical and surgical patients, including neurosurgical patients.  Support is currently provided by seven senior trainees and ten junior trainees.  However, there are plans to expand the critical care service which will include more medical and specialist nursing staff.

There is a separate Cardiothorcic Critical Care (CTCC) Unit which is covered by both cardiac surgeons and critical care consultants.  Each day, separate critical care consultants are responsible for the GCC and the CTCC with separate wards rounds being undertaken.