Antrim Area Hospital

• Accepts patients aged 16 years and above.
• 10 bed spaces which includes 3 side rooms, with flexible level 3/2 use.
• 68% level 3 and 32% level 2 patients.
• Patient mix – medical specialities 56%, surgery specialties 41% and obstetrics 3%.
• Medical patients include respiratory, cardiology, nephrology, haematology, oncology, neurology, gastroenterology and endocrinology. Surgical patients include general, colorectal, ENT and gynaecology.
• Currently funded for 7.5 level 3 equivalent beds.
• Participate in ICNARC case mix programme.
• There is no split site working within this Unit

SHORTER Trial (A randomised controlled trial of SHORT duration antibiotic therapy for critically ill patients with sepsis)

GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality IN Critical Care) Study 

REMAP-CAP (Randomized, embedded, Multifactorial Adaptive Platform trial for Community Acquired Pneumonia)

Threshold for Platelets study (T4P): a prospective randomised trial to define the platelet count below which critically ill patients should receive a platelet transfusion prior to an invasive procedure 

Perioperative Iron and EPO Intervention Study (POP-I)

Consultants: Currently 9 consultants cover intensive care daytime sessions and out of hours on an on call rota. This includes covering evening handover rounds and full ward rounds at weekends. 

We have one FFICM examiner and one EDIC examiner among the consultant body. 

Resident doctors: Anaesthesia stage 1 and 2 ICM modules are facilitated with dedicated daytime allocation to ICU. Other anaesthetic trainees are allocated to ICU on an ad hoc basis for resuscitation and transfer training. One Foundation Year 2 doctor, two ACCS-EM post and two IMT2 doctors also cover daytime sessions and contribute to a rota tier for out-of-hours cover. This is supported by a further 2 tiers of anaesthesia staff (specialty doctors and anaesthetists in training) out of hours, covering ICU, resuscitation calls, emergency theatre and delivery suite.

ACCP: We are currently training a year 1 ACCP student.

Pharmacists: We have two critical care pharmacists who provide daily cover five days per week. They attend and advise on consultant led ward rounds.

Dietician: We have a dedicated critical care dietician attached to our unit.

Physiotherapists:  We have a dedicated critical care physiotherapist who is supported by a team of rotating physiotherapists attached to our unit.

• Training in point of care ultrasound
• Opportunity to attend theatre for airway experience
• Exposure to paediatric emergencies
• Interhospital transfers
• Acting up as an ICM Consultant (for Stage 3 trainees)
• Other:
• Safety Quality North (SQN) Programme
• Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy insertion performed on the unit
• Undergraduate teaching for two medical schools (clinical attachments and student selected components in critical care medicine) 

• Weekly teaching:

•  Intensive care teaching sessions (Tuesday morning)

• Journal Club (Wednesday morning)

• Anaesthesia half day teaching per month

• Annually: SimSTAR (transfer of critically ill) course

• Annually: Regional ICM study day hosted 

• Ad hoc: in situ Simulation

• We host the regional FFICM examination  preparation course

Monthly departmental mortality and morbidity meeting

Monthly audit, quality improvement and safety meeting 

• Ample free car parking for staff
• On-call rooms available
• No out-of-hours hot food available
• Availability of non-clinical work spaces available.
• Medical education centre containing IT suite and library on site