Intensive Care Unit
The John Hunter Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a Level 6 referral centre for critically ill patients in the Hunter New England, Mid North Coast and Northern NSW Local Health Districts.
It is the default centre for Trauma, Neurosurgery, Stroke, Vascular, Cardiothoracic and major General Surgery, as well as Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology.
Importantly, John Hunter Hospital also co-operatively services other Level 5 Intensive Care services in the Hunter New England region.
The ICU also provides:
- A Rapid Response service
- An Intensive Care Liaison service
- A central line and vascular access support service
- A comprehensive education program, including simulation, didactic small group sessions and large course administration, as well as pre-vocational training in Medicine and Nursing
- A Research Program
- A Critical Care Echocardiography Accreditation service
- Hunter Retrieval Service is based within the John Hunter Intensive Care Unit (under current operational characteristics)
- An ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) service
- An Organ and Tissue Donation service
- TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition) Hospital service and the Home TPN service to the District
- Stream leadership to the District's other Intensive Care Units
- Telehealth services for advice on critically ill patients across the District