Intensive care services

We have an expert team who have specialist training and skills in intensive care. They are there 24/7 to look after you. 

Our team includes doctors and nurses. You will see lots of other experts too. This includes:

• Physiotherapists
• Occupational therapists
• Speech and language therapists
• Dieticians 
• Pharmacists.

We also do a lot of teaching in intensive care. You may notice students and other health care professionals on our units. Our expert intensive care team will always be there to supervise them.

Please let our staff know as soon as possible. We will listen carefully. We know that families know their loved ones best. Let us know as soon as possible if you think things are getting worse.

Our team will come and do a check. This is part of our commitment to Martha’s Rule to keep our patients safe. 

You can contact the team directly if you need to.

• South Tyneside – 0191 404 1195
• Sunderland – 0191 569 9199

Visiting is from 1pm until 8pm. If you need to come at a different time, please speak to the nurse in charge. Our team will let you know how many people can visit at a time.

We will ask you to wash your hands when you enter and leave. This is vital to help keep infections out. 
Check with staff first if you want to bring any things to comfort your loved one.

Please do not visit if you are unwell yourself.

It can feel like quite a scary and overwhelming place when you visit. Knowing what to expect can help.

• You will see lots of tubes and wires and hear beeps and alarms. This is to help our staff monitor your loved one. Feel free to ask what things are.
• Your loved one may look swollen or have injuries you can see. They may also be sleepy or confused. This is normal but it can be upsetting.
• You can talk to, touch, and comfort your loved one. Hearing your voices may help them, even if they cannot talk back to you.

To find out more visit: Intensive care - NHS.

Our Chaplains can support people of all cultures and beliefs. You do not have to attend church or be religious to access support from our Chaplains. They are here to listen and talk in confidence. To find out more visit: Chaplaincy services

Research is an important part of our work. We usually have a number of studies going on. This helps the NHS to keep developing new treatments.

If your loved one is suitable to take part in a study but is too unwell for us to ask them, we might need to ask for your permission for them to take part.

Some people need more help after they leave intensive care. We have a special team to support with this.

This is our ‘Rehabilitation after Critical Illness’ team or RaCi for short. Our RaCI team will start working with patients even before they leave intensive care. We want to try and make your recovery as positive as we can. We will support you and your family every step of the way.

We will still be keeping a very close eye on you. Our Critical Care Outreach Team are our ‘eyes and ears’ around our hospitals. They will make sure you are ready to leave intensive care before you move to a ward. After you move to a ward, they will make sure you continue to get better. They will check on your condition to make sure it keeps getting better and not worse.

• South Tyneside District Hospital 
  Our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is at the back of the main hospital off John Reid Road. It has its own entrance. Click here for directions.
• Sunderland Royal Hospital
  Our Integrated Critical Care Unit (ICCU) is on Level C. Click here for directions.