Southampton is the lead centre for Paediatric Intensive Care in South Central England. It's catchment area includes but not limited to, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Surrey, Isle of Wight, Oxford and the Channel Islands. In addition to these areas, they may accept referrals from further afield if there is no PICU bed available in that region.
Southampton PICU was established by Dr. Michael Marsh and is now headed by director, Dr. Peter Wilson. There are 5 consultants on the unit and they each have their own sub-speciality:
John Pappachan (research)
Iain Macintosh (clinical goverance)
Kym Sykes (education and training)
Gareth Jones (retrieval service)
Ananth Ramakrishnan (clinical practice)
Carol Purcell is the PICU Matron and the head of the PICU nursing team. Core members of the team include:
Jenny Bull & Angela Ledsham (lead nurses for education)
Elizabeth Poingdestre
Laura Armstrong (infection control)
Lorna St John (cardiac services)
Carolyn Boyles (research)
Jo Palmer (staff induction)
Jill Thistlethwaite (essence of care lead)
Pame Modelly (health and safety)
There are over 70 nurses on the team with up to 11 on the unit at any one time.
They are currently funded for 11 beds and treat over 700 patients per year. They admit children with both medical and surgical problems who range in age from birth to 18 years.
They also provide a 24-hour retrieval service.
 |
| Click Here |
All families of children who are in intensive are require help and support to cope with the reality of their child's critical illness and to manage their other family responsibilities.
Being a parent of a child on PICU is a surreal experience. Whilst your child may be asleep, unable to move because of tubes and machines, there are plenty of ways to still be mummy or daddy.
Your child will gain comfort from the touch of your hand, sound of your voice and the way you help them through fear and pain. Children who are asleep feel the comfort of a loving presence.
When you have a newborn in PICU, the precious time that you should be getting to know your baby is interfered by the need for the baby to be in PICU. Babies will recognise your voices and it will be their constant reassurance that you are there.
Regardless of how long you may stay on the unit, it is important that you take care of yourselves. It is important for your child that you are well. You may feel guilty being away from your child for any length of time but it is important that you remain well. Things you can do:
- Take walks occasionally
- Eat nourishing meals
- Try to get a few hours rest each day
- Take a break with friends and family; they are there to support you as well as your child
- Remember people are eager to help, even if it is the hardest thing to ask for
- If you are breast-feeding or planning to breast-feed, speak to your child's nurse for help
Parents are not classed as visitors on the unit and you can be with your child as often as possible. The unit is a very open and busy area and there are a few guidelines:
- A situation may arise where you may not be able to enter immediately. Please call from the intercom and the staff will advise you of entry.
- Likewise, a situation may occur on the unit where it is necessary for only medical staff to be in attendance. Please be respectful by leaving as soon as possible and patiently waiting to re-enter.
- If it is your first time on PICU, please let the staff know and they will help you get acquainted with the unit.
- Children may find PICU daunting. The staff can arrange for the play specialist to spend time with them to discuss any concerns
- The staff recommend that only 2 or 3 people visit at one time. However, there are times where exceptions can be made; please speak to your child's nurse
- Infections can spread quite quickly so if anyone is unwell, please ask them to stay away
- Likewise, the importance of hand washing and sanitising is paramount.
There is a routine in place for PICU and the day usually leads like this:
8.00am - Changeover in nursing staff from night to day
8.15 - 8.45am - Nurses do their safety checks on all equipment and check over your child carefully
8.30 - 9.30 am - The doctors, nurse in charge and other members of the team get together off the unit to discuss each child's case and the ongoing plan of care. Your child is then allocated a doctor to look after them for the day.
9.30am onwards - tests are carried out and the care plan followed through
12.00pm - Microbiologists visit the unit to discuss necessary treatments to treat infections
2.00 - 3.00pm - If possible, quiet time. This is where the lights go down and noise reduced to a minimum. Procedures are avoided if possible.
4.30 - 5.15pm - Doctors visit each child at the bedside to discuss the plan of care for the night and you are welcome/encouraged to stay
8.00pm - Changeover from day to night nurses and night nurse carries out checks
10.00pm onwards - Whilst intensive care continues throughout the night, this is when the lights go down and children are given as much rest as possible - 'bedtime'.
The development of Southampton as a lead centre for paediatric intensive care means that the children who require the care are travelling many miles to access the service and the families of these children need extra help and support. The retrieval service consists of highly trained medical personnel who have had training in transporting seriously ill children from one hospital to another.
The retrieval team consists of a doctor, a nurse, a technician and an ambulance driver. Whilst there are risks moving sick children, if it is deemed that transferring them to Southampton gives them a greater chance of survival then the staff will do so.
The staff at Southampton will have received a call from the hospital your child is in; this call outlines the concerns the medical team have and whether the child needs further treatment. The team from Southampton will then arrive at the hospital to assess your child. They will introduce themselves to you and discuss with you the plan of care. Whilst you will want to go with your child, it is best that you make your own way to the hospital so that you are prepared for the stay. It also gives you time to rationalise what has happened and gives the team time to settle your child into Southampton. Don't worry you will be given a map and some directions.
The facilities available include:
- accommodation for the next of kin, near to the unit - this was provided by Ronald McDonald House Charities and refurbished by Friends of PICU. The accommodation is found across the corridor, opposite PICU.
- a separate waiting area for families
- refreshment facilities and a quiet lounge.
PICU aim to work in partnership with families, keeping them involved and part of the decision making process.
You can contact PICU through the ward clerk - Pam Harris - on 02380 794 751 or through the secretary on 02380 798 524.
For more information on retrievals please click here
