West Suffolk Hospital

Contact Details
  • Address:  West Suffolk Hospital, Hardwick Lane, Bury St. Edmunds, IP33 2QZ
  • ICU Department Contact Details - 01284 713128
  • Faculty Tutor Name:  Dr Claire Malcolm - claire.malcolm@wsh.nhs.uk 
Unit Structure
  • Number of Beds: 9              
  • Number of Admissions per year: Level 3: 6  Level 2: 3
  • Percentage of Elective vs Emergency Admissions:  Emergency: 100%
Overview of Case Mix within the Unit:

West Suffolk Hospital Intensive Care Unit is recognised for all stages of ICM training and has been approved to deliver stage 3 SIA in ICM for stage 3 anaesthesia trainees.

Admission type:

Medical: Including respiratory, cardiology, renal, haematology, oncology, hepatology patients.

Surgical: Post operative emergency surgery patients (colorectal, orthopaedics, urology, gynaecology, ENT and upper GI) and emergency admissions with post operative complications. 

Trauma: Patients not requiring transfer for tertiary care.

Admission for stabilisation:

Paediatrics: Any critically ill paediatric patients will undergo initial treatment and stabilisation in the dedicated paediatric bay by the critical care team prior to retrieval by tertiary centres.

Trauma/Neurosurgical: Those patients requiring transfer for tertiary care will undergo stabilisation by the critical care team prior to transfer. 

There is split site working within this Unit
Research projects being undertaken within this Unit:

We are taking part in the following research projects and have one dedicated research nurse:

  • MARCH
  • The GenOMICC study
Overview of the staffing for the Unit (including medical, ACCP, AHPs)

In hours:

  • 2x consultants (one long day; one short day)
  • Doctors: minimum of two doctors (one with advanced airway skills). May be additional doctors (IMT, FY1)
  • 1-2x ACCPs
  • 1x in charge nurse
  • 5-7x ICU nurses
  • 1x ICU pharmacist
  • 1x dietician
  • 1x ICU technician
  • Daily input from ICU physiotherapists

Out of hours:

  • 1x doctor holding ICU bleep (759) for referrals/emergency calls (cardiac arrest/periarrest/trauma/paeds)
  • 1x doctor holding 008 bleep (advanced airway and line skills - minimum of 6/12 anaesthetics experience)

Critical Care Outreach (CCOT):

  • 2x nurses 24 hours per day 7 days per week
  • Standard day shifts: 8am-6pm
  • Long Day shifts: 8am-8:30pm
  • Night shifts: 8pm-8:30am
Training
Training opportunities when working at this Unit:

Twice daily multidisciplinary ward rounds. Opportunity to lead on individual patients or on ward rounds. 

Daily microbiology ward rounds.

Weekly rehabilitation multidisciplinary ward round and optional attendance at ICU follow up clinics.

Attendance at M&M and departmental clinical governance meetings with opportunity to lead M&M dicsussion and to present audit or quality improvement work. 

Resident doctors are supported to present projetcs as oral and poster presentations at regional and national conferences. FUSIC training pathway: including course and training in point of care ultrasound - accredited FUSIC mentors and supervisors.

Opportunity to attend theatre for airway experience – this can be arranged during EDT time with the anaesthetics department.

Weekly line insertion list in theatres – attendance can be arranged during EDT time.

Transfer training days provided in house, however with the development of the regional dedicated critical care transfer service (ACCTS) we now do less transfers interhospital from WSH but have ICU consultant presence within the ACCTS and shadowing opportunities can be arranged.

We have three ICU consultants involved with pre-hospital medicine, shadowing opportunities can be arranged.

Critically ill paediatric patients will undergo initial treatment and stabilisation by the critical care team prior to retrieval by tertiary centres.

Simulation opportunities: we have a state of the art simulation suite in our education centre and promote simulation teaching/learning.
Departmental Teaching:

The department has a well-established programme of integrated FICM- and RCoA- mapped teaching for residents, this weekly teaching programme runs on Wednesday afternoons throughout the year.

Weekly ICM journal club.

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

The ICU holds bi-monthly clinical governance and M&M half days. Residents are encouraged to participate, audit and QIP can be presented at these sessions.
The medical specialties and subspecialties it is possible to complete within theTrust/Health Board:
  • Stage 1:  Emergency Medicine, Medicine and Anaesthesia      
Other facilities: 

Parking is on site – payment as you go or monthly via pay slip

Parking off site – local rugby club with shuttle service to and from the hospital

Rest Facilities:

Oncall room available (1x) for resident and consultant use in accommodation block 

Resident seminar room has chairs/sofas/bed to rest whilst oncall

ICM non-clinical work spaces:

The resident seminar room and the ICU hub seminar room has computers and books available for use by all residents

24 hour library and dedicated education centre on hospital site with clinical skills and simulation suite.

Access to food:

Canteen opens at 07:30 and closes at 20:00

M&S and WHSmiths in main hospital front entrance

Coffee shop in main hospital front entrance