Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Contact Details
  • Address: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Sheriff Hill, GATESHEAD, NE9 6SX
  • ICU Department Contact Details - 01914 452007
  • Faculty Tutor Name: Dr Dominic Lea
Unit Structure
  • Number of Beds:  12 (6 Level 3; 6 Level 2)      
  • Number of Admissions per year: Level 3: 250 Level 2: 550
  • Percentage of Elective vs Emergency Admissions: Elective 25%; Emergency 75%
Overview of Case Mix within the Unit:
  • Our general Critical Care Unit has capacity for six level 3 patients and six level 2 patients. Admissions are from a wide range of medical specialties including Acute Medicine, Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine, Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, Haematology and Care of the Elderly.  The surgical specialties represented are General Surgical, tertiary Gynaecological-oncology, Orthopaedics and Trauma.  A significant proportion are direct from the Emergency Department.
  • There is no split site working within this unit
Research projects being undertaken within this Unit:

Two dedicated members of the trust’s research and development team support the unit. We are currently part of the following multicentre studies:

  • SHORTER
  • GenOMICC
Overview of the staffing for the Unit (including medical, ACCP, AHPs)
During the day the Unit is staffed with two consultants and two doctors in training posts. The Level 3 residents come from different backgrounds including Anaesthetic, ACCS and Respiratory Medicine training programmes. Their rota is essentially a 1:7 full shift pattern. The Level 2 resident is usually an Internal Medicine Resident (IMT2) or Foundation Year 2 doctor. They work a 1:4 rota including weekend daytime shifts and weekday night shifts. Four ACCPs are currently in training and expected to join the out of hours rota in 2026.

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
  • Acting up as an ICM Consultant (for Stage 3 trainees)
  • Other: Experience in peri-operative medicine and management, GCP training and recruitment into research are available.

 

Departmental Teaching:
  • Tuesday 12: 45 to 13:15: Combined journal club with anaesthesia trainees.
  • Fridays 12:45 to 13:15: Case based ICM and anaesthesia teaching.
  • Monthly combined ICM and Anaesthesia half day teaching

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

  • Monthly clinical governance meetings in collaboration with Anaesthesia.
  • Wednesday 12:30 to 13:15: Grand round and mortality reviews.
  • Morbidity & mortality presentations during clinical governance meetings
The medical specialties and subspecialties it is possible to complete within the Trust/Health Board:
  • Stage 1: Emergency Medicine, Medicine, Anaesthesia
Other facilities: 
  • On site parking permits are available for all resident doctors.
  • Residence rooms are available for rest after night shifts and for Stage 3 residents working on calls.
  • Hot food is available from a number of outlets in the evening and weekend day time. Vending machines offering microwave meals are available for use overnight.
  • A doctors office is available in the critical care department to provide a non-clinical workspace, there is a dedicated resident doctors office in the critical care / anaesthetics admin area.