Northampton General Hospital

Contact Details
  • Address: Northampton General Hospital, Cliftonville, Northampton, NN1 5BD
  • ICU Department Contact Details - 01604 545544
  • Faculty Tutor Name:  Dr Helen Cronshaw
Unit Structure
  • Number of Beds:  16
  • Number of Admissions per year: Level 3: 355    Level 2: 412
  • Percentage of Elective vs Emergency Admissions: 28% vs 72%
Overview of Case Mix within the Unit:
  • Mixed medical and surgical ICU.  NGH has a specialist medical services including haematology, 24hour emergency endoscopy, oncology and daytime Primary PCI service.
  • The surgical specialities include emergency vascular, major head and neck surgeries, major gynae oncology surgery, ENT/maxfax and major general surgery.
  • We support the anaesthetic team with paediatric emergencies until retrieval and admit critically unwell obstetric emergencies.
  • There is no split site working 
Research projects being undertaken within this Unit:

Over the last two years, NGH Critical Care Unit has hosted a diverse portfolio of studies, including:

  • UK-ROX/Exakt: Conservative oxygen management in critical illness.
  • Genomicc: Genetic determinants of critical illness.
  • Shorter: Short term antibiotic usage in managing sepsis.
  • VitDalize: Vitamin D supplementation in critical care.
  • GuARDs: Dexamethasone use in ARDs.
  • VIP3: Family communication and outcomes in older ICU patients.
  • Awake Prone: Prone positioning strategies in respiratory failure.
Overview of the staffing for the Unit (including medical, ACCP, AHPs)
  • 16 residents on a full on-call rota.  2 residents as part of the on-call team supported by an on-site 3rd on-call anaesthetist and on-call ICU consultant.
  • No ACCPs
  • 24 hour ICU ODP cover.
 

Training

Training opportunities when working at this Unit:
  • Training in point of care ultrasound
  • Opportunity to attend theatre for airway experience
  • Exposure to paediatric emergencies (within anaesthetics)
  • Interhospital transfers
  • Opportunity to attend a Cardiac Catheterisation lab 
  • Acting up as an ICM Consultant (for Stage 3 trainees)
  • Other: Point of care simulation
Departmental Teaching:

  • Junior study day for ‘New to ICU’ doctors.

  • 3 monthly senior study day with consultant, external speaker and resident presentations.

  • Fortnightly journal club

  • Fortnightly M&M

  • Monthly ‘Point of Care’ Simulation

  • ‘Organ failure’ study day for those trying to get stage 1 ICM signed off.

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

  • Fortnightly M&M
The medical specialties and subspecialties it is possible to complete within the Trust/Health Board:
  • Stage 1:  Anaesthesia, Emergency Medicine, Medicine
Other facilities: 
  • Onsite parking available
  • On-call rest facilities available – resident bedroom and office for non-clinical working
  • Out-of-hours hot food available with costa, M&S, subway food establishments.