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Intensive Care

Critical care, also known as intensive care, is needed if someone is seriously ill with life-threatening conditions and requires intensive treatment and close monitoring. This is carried out in a ward called the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). These wards within the hospital are staffed with a multi-disciplinary healthcare team equipped and designed to closely monitor and treat patients with life-threatening conditions. Patients may need specialist treatment because one or more of their body systems, such as their heart, lung, or kidneys, are not working properly.

Because our patients are often very unwell, they will have much greater care needs than those patients being cared for on more general wards within the hospital. For this reason, each nurse will care for one patient only at a time and patients will be reviewed by different teams regularly.

 

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Article: Lane Fox Unit (LFU) - St Thomas's Hospital

Lane Fox Unit (LFU) is located on the ground floor in the South Wing of St Thomas's Hospital. Patients with long-term respiratory failure who need support from a ventilator (breathing machine) are cared for on the LFU. It is one of the largest services in the UK for home ventilation and weaning people from mechanical ventilation. The Lane Fox Unit provides the following services: assessing and treating people with respiratory failure, including home non-invasive ventilation a...

Web Link: Life Lines - virtual visiting: free download of app aTouchaway for Android and iPhone

We recognise the importance of loved ones and patients having communication. This Trust is set up for Virtual Visiting. On this weblink, please scroll down to 'Other ways to keep in touch' and click on 'virtual visiting'. If you have a smart phone or tablet please download the free aTouchAway™ app and register an account. Once you have a registered account on aTouchAway™ you need to: Contact the ward and provide them the email address used to set up the...

Article: Looking after yourself

Having a loved one in Intensive Care can be emotionally and physically exhausting. It can be all too easy to forget to take care of yourself. Try to remember, though, that you will need all your strength to help look after your loved one when he/she gets out of hospital. Try to keep to as normal a routine as you can It's completely understandable to feel that you want to "be there", to stay as close to your loved one as possible, either at their bedside, in the...

Web Link: Managing someone else's affairs (Citizens Advice)

When someone is ill in Intensive Care, they may need someone to help with or take over their affairs, including making decisions around their health, legal and financial welfare.This link will take you to the Citizens Advice website. It provides simple, easily understandable information about different ways of managing someone else's affairs, including different types of Power of Attorney. 

External Video: Max's story - Parents of organ donor meet the boy she saved - video

Parents of organ donor 'Keira' meet the boy 'Max' she saved.

Web Link: Medical records: how to access them

Some people want to see their medical notes, so that they can make sense of their care or treatment, and why they needed it.This link will take you to the NHS Choices website. It gives you information on how to get permission to look at your medical notes (including the forms you will need to fill in and whether you might have to pay a small fee).

Article: Medications on ICU

Medications Medications are an essential part of the care provided in the ICU. The amount and type of medicine (drugs) given to a patient will vary according to their condition and progress. ICU staff will explain your relative’s individual needs. Commonly patients will be given drugs to stop pain, as well as sedatives.

Web Link: Medicines explained

This link will take you to an NHS page explaining how 100s of different medications work, what they're for, how to take them and possible side-effects. It's not exhaustive, but we hope you find it helpful. 

Article: Money issues

What if I can't pay the bills? It can be stressful enough, worrying about a family member in Intensive Care, without the added stress of worrying about money and how you're going to pay the bills. This is especially true if your loved usually dealt with money issues, if either of you are self employed or you need to take a lot of time off work in order to visit him or her or to look after children. Can I get access to his or her bank account? You may need access to...