Improving intensive and high dependency care
Plans to improve care for St Mary’s patients with the highest needs are underway today.
On Wednesday 6 June, high dependency (level 2) care beds from four different locations in the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother building at St Mary’s are due to be brought together with adult intensive (level 3) care beds on the ninth floor.
We are also expanding the clinical team with over 50 additional staff –doctors, nurses, health care assistants, pharmacist and therapist – and investing £800,000 in additional equipment and ward refurbishments.
The move will allow us to concentrate specialist skills for patients with the highest needs on one whole floor and to flex staffing quickly to change the balance of level 2 and level 3 care in response to need. The changes bring us in line with all national standards and best practice. The total number of level 2 and level 3 beds will remain the same at 32.
The St Mary’s changes follow a similar initiative at Charing Cross Hospital last year and we will be exploring similar plans for Hammersmith Hospital. Responding to patient feedback, the whole ninth floor will be called intensive care (adults) and we will work to make this approach consistent across our sites. The service will be managed by the critical care directorate with support from the relevant specialties.
The changes will also enable:
- five additional major trauma beds to be created, bringing the new total to 19
- inpatients who need specialist care for complications of diabetes affecting their feet to be cared for together
- eight beds to be allocated within Manvers ward to focus on acute respiratory care
There will be a comprehensive programme of communications for patients and visitors and our website will be fully updated with amended ward information and directions.
