The ICU at Queen’s Hospital Burton is undergoing £5 million of improvement works which will see the size of the unit expanded and extra isolation rooms installed.
The work is already underway, and the neighbouring Ward 14 is being utilised to deliver ICU care while the works take place with the installation of new equipment.
The HDU, which is used to care for patients who require more care than is provided on a ward but not the same level as in Intensive Care, will also be expanded, with two additional isolation units being installed, allowing patients with potentially infectious conditions, such as Covid-19, to be cared for safely. This will increase the critical care capacity from 10 to 14 beds.
Dr Paul Smith, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at Queen’s Hospital Burton, said the works will ensure the unit is even better prepared to offer the best possible care to patients in the immediate and long-term future: “The expansion of the unit is absolutely fantastic news and comes at a time when we perhaps need it most during the latest surge in Covid-19 patients.
“The ability for us to isolate patients in the two new bays will further reinforce our infection prevention measures, and the extra space and new equipment will make a huge difference to the way the unit operates.”
Store rooms and non-clinical areas, such as offices, will also be relocated into a new modular building next to ICU. Staff rooms will also be renovated which Dr Smith says will be a huge boost in morale to the staff on the unit: “The last year has been incredibly tough for everyone, and our team has been caring for those most severely affected by Covid-19. The works will not only give them a new, bigger place to relax on breaks and in between shifts, but the new look unit will be really good for morale and patient experience during what continues to be a very challenging time.”
When the worst pressures of the pandemic have passed, the improvements will lead to better medical management and surgical care for all critically unwell patients at Queen’s Hospital Burton.
Divisional Director of Surgery, Andrew Hall, said: “These works will be a huge asset to Queen’s Hospital Burton and the Trust as a whole. Our ICUs are currently under a lot of pressure, so this will be a big boost both in terms of the number of patients we’re able to treat and to the ICU staff who have worked tirelessly throughout Covid-19.”
Executive Medical Director and Deputy CEO, Dr Magnus Harrison, said: “This is fantastic news and I am sure that the new facilities will provide reassurance to patients in the immediate future as we continue to fight Covid-19, but also beyond that. These facilities ensure patients will continue to receive the best quality of care in the years that come.
“The last year has been incredibly tough on our staff, and those working in ICU have been on the frontline throughout the pandemic, providing high quality care in the most challenging of circumstances. I want to thank each and every one of them for their continued hard work and dedication as we continue to battle this terrible virus.”
