Critical care
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
- Medical High Dependency Unit (MHDU)
- Surgical High Dependency Unit (SHDU) 'Trafalgar'
Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
Find us
Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
Purple zone
Level 3
Medical High Dependency Unit (MHDU)
The Medical High Dependency Unit (MHDU) is a state-of-the-art ward caring for level two critically ill medical patients.
The Unit is comprised of six beds - five in a shared open bay and one side room. Our patients are largely referred to us from accident and emergency, Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) and the general medical wards, but we also provide step-down care to patients discharged from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) requiring intermediate treatment and monitoring prior to discharge to a general ward.
We provide a wide range of specialist medical care which includes advanced non-invasive respiratory support (vapotherm, bi-level positive airway pressure and continuous positive airway pressure), advanced cardiovascular support (including inotropes) and continuous monitoring of vital signs (including both arterial and central monitoring).
Levels of care
Level 0 | Patients whose needs can be met through normal ward care in an acute hospital. |
Level 1 | Patients at risk of their condition deteriorating, or those recently relocated from higher levels of care whose needs can be met on an acute ward with additional advice and support from the critical care team. |
Level 2 | Patients requiring more detailed observation or intervention including support for a single failing organ system or postoperative care, and those stepping down from higher levels of care. |
Level 3 | Patients requiring advanced respiratory support alone or basic respiratory support together with support of at least two organ systems. This level includes all complex patients requiring support for multi-organ failure. |
Find us
Medical High Dependency Unit
The unit is situated adjacent to the Medical Admissions Unit (MAU)
Brown zone
Level 2
Patients are admitted to the Surgical High Dependency Unit (Trafalgar) for a variety of reasons. This may include the complex nature of their surgical procedure, their existing medical conditions, or they may be stepping down from the intensive care unit and will need more complex monitoring and intervention prior to going back to the general wards.
The unit provides a range of critical care which includes non-invasive ventilatory support using equipment such as Vapotherm, CPAP and BiPAP (ventilation devices used for treatment of sleep apnea and a host of other respiratory and cardiac problems), advanced cardiovascular support including the use of inotropic drugs (drugs that affect the strength of contraction of heart muscle) and the continuous monitoring of vital signs including arterial and central monitoring.
The Trafalgar surgical high dependency unit has ten beds, two bays and two side rooms. The bays are kept to single sex wherever possible.
Find us
Surgical High Dependency Unit (Trafalgar)
Green zone
Level 3