Critical Care
Please click on the links below for information on Critical Care / Intensive Care / High Dependency Units:
Where do we offer this service?
What is it?
Intensive care units (ICU) or critical care is where critically ill patients are nursed. Treatments offered include ventilation and renal replacement therapy. At our Pinderfields Hospital site we also provide critical care for burns patients and those suffering spinal injuries.
As part of our critical care facilities we also provide high dependency care. High dependency units (HDU) provide care for those patients who are either acutely ill or who are coming to hospital as a planned admission and require close monitoring, high oxygen therapy and cardio vascular support.
Our Trust has a Critical Care Outreach Team, which provides support to the critical care services by:
- Visiting patients whose condition may need intensive care support either on the ward or by transfer to our Intensive care facilities
- Helping ward teams and patients to choose the best course of action to stabilise and improve their condition quickly
- Enabling discharges from ICU/HDU by supporting the continuing recovery of discharged patients on wards and following discharge from hospital
- Supporting patients' relatives and friends through what can be a difficult and distressing time
- Providing follow-up visits once the patient has returned to a ward to ensure that they continue to improve.
Where do we offer this service?
Two of our hospital sites provide Intensive care facilities, as follows:
Dewsbury and District Hospital – ICU and HDU, located on the 2nd Floor of the Ridings Building, next to the Anaesthetic Department.
Pinderfields Hospital – new ICU, HDU, specialist Intensive care burns and spinal injuries facilities.
Between them, the two units care for up to 25 post operative or critically ill patients at any one time, including dedicated facilities for patients with severe burns. They are staffed by 76 expert staff who ensure that patients receive constant care and monitoring, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The units also benefit from:
- Dedicated relatives' rooms, allowing more privacy and dignity for patients' families
- Improved waiting area for visitors
- Brand new equipment including new ventilators, monitors, pumps and beds
- More space for staff to move around and provide care for patients.
The Critical Care Outreach Team currently works daily on site at Dewsbury and District and Pinderfields Hospitals, with additional weekly educational support and advice at Pontefract Hospital.