Hull Royal reveals new £8m intensive care unit
FIRST LOOK INSIDE HOSPITAL’S ICU SET TO LAUNCH NEXT WEEK
HOSPITAL chiefs have released the first pictures of a new intensive care unit at Hull Royal Infirmary (HRI) ahead of its opening next week.
The £8m 24-bed unit is set to take some of the most critically ill patients from across Yorkshire and the Humber region, providing some of the country’s best care.
Doctors said the new threestorey unit, next to the hospital’s Emergency Department, has also been built with isolation facilities so staff can cope with further waves of Covid-19 or other future pandemics.
The glass-fronted cubicles are double the size of those currently installed at HRI’S two existing ICUS in the tower block.
It’s also built to treat seriously injured patients, with Hull currently a major trauma centre for the region.
Chris Long, chief executive of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said the unit was prepped to provide “outstanding critical care”.
“Our new unit will help us save more lives and provide our sickest and most critically injured patients, as well as their relatives and our staff, with cutting-edge equipment in a modern environment,” he said.
“It puts our area in the best possible position to deal with any future waves of the virus or, indeed, any other pandemic in the future.”
The unit has 12 isolation cubicles on each floor, split into identical halves, with an observation room for staff.
The cubicles are also fitted with Draegar ceiling pendants for treating patients in order to maximise floor space for doctors, nurses and other health professionals.
Electric hoists have also been fitted so staff can lift patients safely, reducing the risk of musculoskeletal problems in the future.
The new ICU, which is connected to the main HRI tower block via a link bridge over Lansdowne Road, has been built in line with the trust’s Zero Thirty eco campaign, keeping the hospital’s carbon footprint down.
Bosses said it would be “as energy efficient as possible” with its own heat pumps, air conditioning, chillers and heat recovery systems.
Meanwhile, a separate area with staff rest rooms, offices and support services including Medical Physics has also been created as part of the unit.
An extension is also being built next to the ICU to provide support accommodation for staff including rest rooms, offices and support services.
Duncan Taylor, director of estates, facilities and development, paid tribute to the trust’s Capital Development team and other staff who have managed the project.
He said: “Our team has worked hand-in-hand with our clinical colleagues who deliver the care to design the unit with their needs and the needs of the people they care for at the forefront of every decision and plan.
“The result is an Intensive Care Unit which symbolises the futures of critical care and we’re very proud that Hull and our trust is at the forefront of this innovation.”