Altnagelvin Hospital

Contact Details
Unit Structure
  • Number of Beds: 10                             
  • Number of Admissions per year: Level 3:7        Level 2:3
  • Percentage of Elective vs Emergency Admissions: Elective 21% Emergency 79%
Overview of Case Mix within the Unit:
  • Mixed medical and surgical ICU in a district general hospital.
  • Divided over 2 neighbouring sites. Both capable of level 2 and level 3 care.
  • In addition general medical patients, we treat patients from cardiology, respiratory, hepatology, neurology, endocrinology, nephrology, haematology and stroke medicine. We also treat surgical patients from colorectal, ENT, gynaecology and obstetrics, urology and trauma and orthopaedics.
  • There is no split site working within this Unit
Research projects being undertaken within this Unit:

We have a research lead (Dr Adrian Donnelly) and a research nurse 1 FTE  (Sinead O’Kane)

Our current and recent research activity is as follows

  • MARCH Study (Mucoactives in Acute Respiratory failure: Carbocisteine and Hypertonic saline). Target: 18 over study duration Recruited: 11
  • GenOMICC Study (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) Target: 33 over study duration Recruited: 14
  • REMAP-CAP (Randomized, embedded, Multifactorial Adaptiave Platform trial for Community Acquired Pneumonia) Target: 6 with original study – no set target for Influenza domain (attempt to approach all eligible Flu +ve patients) Recruited: 28 with original study – no recruits for flu domain (opened before Flu season)
  • SIGNET Study (Statins for Improving Organ Outcome in Transplantation) Target: 18 over study duration Recruited: 9 (8 in ALT and 1 in SWAH)
  • iREHAB ( Remote multicomponent rehabilitation compared to standard care for survivors of critical illness after hospital discharge: a randomised controlled assessor-blind clinical and cost-effectiveness trial with internal pilot) Target: 9 over study duration Recruited: 3

Studies in Set-up:

  • GUARDS (Glucocorticoids in adults with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome)Target 0.5 per month ? Opening September/October 2024
  • SHORTER (A randomised controlled trial of SHORT duration antibiotic thERapy for critically ill patients with sepsis) Target: 0.5 per month ? Opening October 2024
  • SPICE IV (Sedation Practice in Intensive Care Evaluation - Early Sedation with Dexmedetomidine vs. Placebo in Older Ventilated Critically Ill Patients A Prospective, Multi-Centre, Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial) Target: 0.5 per month ? Opening early 2025

Recently closed studies

  • UK-ROX (Intensive Care Unit Randomised Trial Comparing Two Approaches to OXygen Therapy (UK-ROX).  Evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a conservative approach to oxygen therapy for invasively ventilated adults in intensive care.Target: 22 Recruited: 8 Screened: 348 Closed to recruitment
  • SRAVI (A speech recognition application as a communication aid for acute and critical care patients with tracheostomies)Target: 30 (both patient and staff)Recruited: 24 (9pt and 15 staff) Closed to recruitment
Overview of the staffing for the Unit (including medical, ACCP, AHPs)

12 ICU Consultants, expanding to 16 in 2025.

In addition to a 1:8 consultant body, we have 2 SAS grade doctors.

We have dedicated 1:8 middle tier rota. This consists of 1 F2, 2 International Medical Graduate. 2 Internal Medicine trainee, 3-4 clinical fellows.

We also facilitate anaesthetic trainees undertaking ICM training along with ICM trainees stage 1 and 2.

There are currently 2 ANP in training.

Training

Training opportunities when working at this Unit:
  • Training in point of care ultrasound 
  • Opportunity to attend theatre for airway experience 
  • Exposure to paediatric emergencies 
  • Interhospital transfers 
  • Opportunity to attend a Cardiac Catheterisation lab 
  • Acting up as an ICM Consultant (for Stage 3 trainees) Y – we currently do not have stage 3 trainees, but have the capability for acting up if did receive stage 3
Departmental Teaching:
  • Weekly formal departmental teaching including journal club.
  • Semi regular insitu MDT simulation training.
  • Regular adhoc education sessions eg. Echo training.
  • This is in addition to weekly anaesthetic departmental teaching.
  • Undergraduate teaching for 2 regional medical schools

Details of clinical governance meeting days and/or M & M:                             

  • Bimonthly User meeting.
  • Monthly departmental M and M
  • Monthly Audit meeting
  • Monthly Divisional Meeting (includes anaesthetic department)
The medical specialties and subspecialties it is possible to complete within theTrust/Health Board:
  • Stage 1:  Emergency Medicine, Medicine & Anaesthesia 
Other facilities: 
  • Ample free car parking 
  • On-call rooms available 
  • No out of hours hot food arrangements 
  • Ample non clinical work spaces. Multiple libraries, Computer suites, Full IT and educational facilities
  • Medical Education building/facility including simulator