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Critical care: Intensive care unit (ICU) and high dependency unit (HDU)
Intensive care units (ICU) and high dependency units (HDU) are specialist wards providing intensive care (treatment and monitoring) for people who are in a critically ill or unstable condition.
We have an intensive care unit at St Helier Hospital and a high dependency unit at Epsom Hospital. Although each is individually located and staffed, the approach is that of one team working together to provide the highest standards of care to patients and their families.
We have a total of 21 critical care beds, staffed by a dynamic, supportive and proactive team, influencing critical care for the future.
The units are multidisciplinary, admitting the more complicated elective surgical patients and all general, medical and surgical patients requiring intensive or high dependency care.
Epsom and Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust's Critical Care department is an active part of the South London Adult Critical Care Network.
Our vision
Our vision is to provide high quality, safe, evidence-based, compassionate care to critically ill patients within the Trust, and support those that care for them; both family and staff.
In line with Trust values, we aim to deliver best practice critical care in an equitable and timely manner with responsible management of human and material resources. We will utilise both the Epsom and St Helier sites effectively to achieve the best for our patients.
To achieve this we aim to build positive relationships and work collaboratively within critical care and throughout the Trust: promoting critical care as an effective resource for training and education. We wish to attract, inspire and nurture committed staff who are equipped with the knowledge and skills to deliver our vision.
Meet the Critical Care Team
Dr Putul Sarkar, Consultant Intensivist and Anaesthetist. Clinical Director Critical Care, Anaesthetics, Theatres, and Pain Services
Dr John Dixon, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine. Clinical lead for Critical Care
Melanie Sawyer, Service Manager, Critical Care, Anaesthetics, Theatres, Pain Service (CCATP)
Sandra Smith, Directorate Co-ordinator, (CCATP)
Emma Conroy, Matron for Critical Care
Daniel Clark, Organ Donation Specialist Nurse
Jane Camilleri, Head of Nursing for Critical Care, Anaesthetics, Theatres, Endoscopy and Pain Services
Donna Hibbins, Deputy General Manager, Critical Care, Anaesthetics, Theatres, Pain Services (CCATP)
Nicola Gavin, General Manager, Critical Care, Anaesthetics, Theatres, Pain Services (CCATP)
Other consultants in Critical Care
Dr Stanislaw Jankowski, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia. Lead for mortality review.
Dr Larry Mulleague, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia. Lead for Critical Care Rehabilitation Service.
Dr Viplaw Shukla, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Emergency Medicine. Lead for Organ donation. ICM Training Program Director for London.
Dr Sarah Milliams, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine. ICM tutor.
Dr Matt Varrier, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Nephrologist.
Dr Ravi Srinivasan, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine.
Dr Madiha Abbas, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine.
Information for patients
For more information about ICU and HDU, including what patients and their loved ones may be able to expect, please visit the ICUsteps website (opens in a new window). ICUsteps was founded in 2005 by ex-patients, their relatives and ICU staff to support patients and their families through the long road to recovery from critical illness.
Understanding HDU and ICU
The below describes the difference between ward-based care, HDU and ICU In hospitals, based on three levels:
- Level one - ward-based care: Patients do not require organ support (for example, they may need an IV drip or oxygen mask)
- Level two - high dependency unit (HDU): Patients need single organ support (excluding mechanical ventilation) such as renal haemofiltration or inotropes and invasive BP monitoring. They are staffed with one nurse for every two patients
- Level three - intensive care unit (ICU): Patients require support for two or more organs (or need mechanical ventilation alone). They are staffed with one nurse per patient and usually with a doctor present in the unit 24 hours a day.
Source: Department of Health - Comprehensive Critical Care
Contact us
St Helier Hospital
Tel: 020 8296 2282
B2 (ICU)
St Helier Hospital
Wrythe Lane
Carshalton, SM5 1AA
St Helier Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children site map [pdf] 1MB
Epsom Hospital
Tel: 01372 735210
High Dependency Unit (HDU)
Epsom Hospital
Dorking Road
Epsom, KT18 7EG
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