The Freeman Hospital Integrated Critical Care Unit or ICCU The work of the ICCU is to provide care for adult patients with conditions and severity of illness that prevents care in an ordinary ward setting. The majority of patients cared for on ICCU undergo major surgery (planned and emergency) for life-threatening conditions (often cancer) of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and main arteries in the chest and abdomen. Other patients cared for include those undergoing major head and neck surgery, spinal corrective surgery, bladder surgery and transplantation surgery (liver, pancreas and kidney transplants.) All of these conditions can be life-threatening and post-operative care by the doctors and nurses on the ICCU is essential to maximise the excellent care provided to the patients during the operative period by Anaesthetists, Surgeons and Operating Theatre staff. As a consequence of such team-work the care afforded to patients on ICCU at the Freeman Hospital is comparable to anywhere in the world. Admission to intensive care places great stress not only on patients, but also on their friends and family. The unit’s charitable fund therefore plays a major role in enabling patients and their relatives to cope both physically and psychologically with such events. It has over time provided suitable equipment to enhance patient rehabilitation and allowed us to cater for the more holistic aspects of intensive care such as creating comfortable environments for relatives that lower stress in situations where great uncertainties exist. The DREAME Fund The unit’s original charity (part of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Charity; Reg. No: 1057213) was founded by the late Dr David Ryan and following the David’s death in the summer of 2009 a decision was taken to rename the charity as the DREAME Fund (David Ryan Equipment and Medical Education Fund.) The official launch was on Saturday 14 May 2011 at the South Northumberland Cricket Club with a black tie dinner dance, charity raffle and auction. The evening was a great success socially and financially with staff and their guests able to mingle in a relaxed atmosphere away from the stress of work. The venue had been chosen because in addition to an international contribution to intensive care medicine David was a keen cricketer and arguably responsible for the development of junior cricket at South Northumberland CC, which is now one of the most succesful non-professional cricket clubs in the country.
Testimonies
Ms Laura Fairlamb: Liver transplant in 2000 after falling ill during her A-Level examinations. She is now a qualified intensive care physiotherapist.
The personal and professional care shown to myself and my family by the staff of the integrated critical care unit was outstanding. Words can’t express the gratitude we feel to those dedicated people.
Mrs Ann Lovell: dialysis patient
Professor Derek Manas, Director of Transplantation, University of Newcastle and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
As Director of Organ Transplantation at the Freeman Hospital and as a Consultant Surgeon in the hospital since 1993 I have operated on hundreds of patients who have received care on the integrated critical care unit (ICCU.) Over the years their levels of disease have increased as technology and expectations have resulted in increasingly complex surgery being performed on sicker patients. Despite this post-operative outcomes have continued to improve to the point where we now have some of the best surgical outcomes (for cancer and transplantation) in the UK and indeed Europe. This I believe is in large part due to the outstanding care these high risk and very challenging patients receive in the ICCU. The exceptional team of consultants and nurses are energetic, enthusiastic, extremely approachable and above all outstanding at managing these very difficult patients. T he laid back and friendly atmosphere makes the ICCU a pleasure to visit (unlike many of the intensive care units that I’ve experienced around the world.) Problems are dealt with in a friendly professional manner and the positive air that prevails within the unit makes consultants that use the facility feel that the best is being done for their patients. Indeed if I ever needed intensive care myself I have no doubt where I would want it- the ICCU at the Freeman Hospital