What we do
We provide specialist care for patients with a variety of heart and lung conditions. This may be overnight recovery after you have come in for surgery or longer if you require intensive support and management.
We are leaders in our field and conduct active research into the best ways of caring for patients in ITU. Our unit is staffed by experts in surgery, anaesthesia and critical care.
Our ITU has 24 beds with an additional 7 recovery beds.
Watch the video below to hear from our ITU staff about what they do and the types of care and treatment they provide to patients.
If you are coming in for an operation
Patients booked for an elective operation will be invited to attend an education day and offered the opportunity to attend the pre-admission clinic, at the hospital. During the day, patients will receive information related to their operation and recovery.
An anaesthetist will assess all patients prior to their operation. They will be pleased to answer any questions regarding the operation and subsequent recovery.
Find out more about staying in hospital.
How we care for patients
Each patient within the unit will be attached to a monitor that will record various observations needed to assess their recovery. Patients may be sedated and their breathing supported by a ventilator.
They may also have numerous infusions administering medication. Having a relative in intensive care can be distressing for family and everything that is happening to the patient will be fully explained by the nurse caring for them.
The unit is extremely busy and, at times, noisy environment because of the numbers of staff involved in caring for a patient.
Who looks after our patients
Each patient has a registered nurse allocated to their care who has critical care training and experience.
During the day there will be several visits to each patient by our multidisciplinary team (MDT). An MDT is a group of staff with specialist training in different fields, who work out the best treatment through consultation.
In addition, all patients are also regularly assessed by a physiotherapist, pharmacist and dietitian.
Find out more about who's who on the wards.
Visiting
Each patient can have a maximum of 2 visitors by their bedside at the following times:
- 12pm to 3pm - family members only
- 3pm to 7:30pm - extended family and friends
Children visiting the ITU
We have created some information to help you decide if a child should visit a parent or a close relative in the intensive therapy unit (ITU). This information also gives advice about preparing a child for a visit to the hospital and the best way to support them during the visit.
Children visiting the intensive therapy unit (ITU) information and guidance leaflet (PDF 596 KB)
If you would like to arrange a visit to the ITU for your child, please speak with the nurse in charge.
Find us
The ITU is on the ground floor of Harefield Hospital.
Address: Intensive Therapy Unit, Harefield Hospital, Hill End Road, UB9 6JH
For information about how to get here, including public transport and parking information, visit our Harefield Hospital directions page.
Contact us
Phone: +44 (0)1895 828 685 or +44 (0)1895 828 682
Matrons
Ellen Dunthorne, Critical Care Matron
Ciara Collins, Critical Care Matron
Martha's Rule - call if concerned
You know yourself or your loved one better than anyone. If you’re worried about a health condition getting worse, talk to us. We have introduced Martha’s Rule to help spot any unexpected signs and give you the right to request a rapid review if you’re worried that your or your loved one’s condition is getting worse.