Whipps Cross University Hospital

What we do

Our Intensive Care Unit (ICU)  was established 40 years ago in 1968 by Dr Gillian Hanson and Dr Bill Chew as one of the first intensive care units in the UK and exists to deliver and co-ordinate highly specialised medical and nursing care to critically ill patients and their families.

In practice, this means we look after patients who require complex nursing and medical care following major surgery, traumatic accidents or other life threatening episodes.

Admission to ICU may be either scheduled or as an emergency.

Our philosophy is:

• The multi-professional team treats patients as individuals and strives to inform and involve them in the delivery of care, where this is possible.
• We aim to keep close families informed, as requested by our patients, whilst maintaining privacy and dignity.
• We recognise the diverse cultural, racial, social and spiritual beliefs of our patients within the overall delivery of critical care.
• We aim to preserve quality of life and minimise sufferring through expert use of evidence based medical and nursing skills.

How to contact us

Where to find us

How to find us

For more information on how to find this location or how to get the hospital please look under our 'Where to find us section'.

• Click here to view location map of the hospital. 
• Click here to view how to get here.

This includes information about local underground stations and connecting bus services, which stop within 300 metres of ICU.

If you are travelling to the hospital using a satellite navigation system, enter the post code E11 1NR and then follow directions for car park 4 within the hospital site.

The closest airport to Whipps Cross is London City with London Stansted just North on the M11.

Opening times

How to get treatment

Patients may be referred to the ICU from our wards and departments, operating theatres, Accident and Emergency or neigbouring hospitals.

Further Information

Visiting ICU
On arrival at ICU, we have a video entryphone. If you have difficulty communicating this way, or if you need assistance to enter the ICU, please use the mobility assistance bell located below the main intercom and someone will come to help.

Because of the critical condition of many patients in our care we have restricted visiting times (see opening times above) and there are also restrictions on the number of people who may visit.

To maintain the privacy and dignity of our patients, it is usually better for friends and wider family to wait until they are transferred to normal wards before visiting.

We will keep in close contact with next of kin and are happy for you to telephone at any time for a general enquiry, although we will not usually give detailed information by telephone. Wherever possible, it is helpful for one member of the family to phone and pass information on to others.

Friends and family are very welcome to send cards, faxes, photos and emails - please see the contact details above. Sadly we cannot receive flowers in ICU as they may pose a risk of infection.

We are especially concerned about the risk of infection in vulnerable patients in ICU so require everyone (staff and visitors) entering the ICU to wash hands on arrival and departure.  We also try to limit the total number of people entering this sensitive area.

Personal items
Patients in ICU need very few personal items. We suggest toiletries, glasses if worn and personal cosmetics. In particular toothbrush, toothpaste and lip balm will be very useful.

What is a life support machine?
There is actually no single piece of equipment called a life support machine. A patient in ICU will require all sorts of complex interventions, many of them being made possible by sophisticated equipment.

The combination of equipment and staff constitutes life support. Many people do however refer to the ventilator as being the life support machine.

What does a ventilator do?
When patients are very seriously ill they often need help with breathing. The most complex type of breathing support comonly used in ICU is a ventilator or respirator.

This machine 'blows' air and oxygen into the lungs via a tube in the windpipe. These machines work with the patient to provide the required number and type of breaths, supporting or controlling completely as necessary.

Who will look after me in ICU?
The ICU service is lead by senior consultants and nurses.  A patient in ICU can expect to be cared for by their own nurse 24 hours a day during the most acute phase of their illness.

We have doctors in the ICU day and night and the whole team works together to provide a true 24 hour service.

The ICU team is large and whilst in our care you might meet any or all of the following healthcare professionals: physiotherapist, dietitian, pharmacist, microbiologist, radiographer, porters, clinical nurse specialist, speech and language therapist, domestic staff and any of the wide range of specialists involved with care of the critically ill.

Will I be awake in ICU?
It depends very much upon why you are admitted to ICU. If you need help from a ventilator we may keep you deeply asleep until your condition starts to improve.

During this time you will probably not be aware of anything but may in some cases hear the people caring for you. We normally try to wake patients as soon as they start to improve and at this point you may become aware of the tubes and machines about you.

Our team will make sure you are comfortable and know what is happening. The drugs and medication you receive in ICU may make you very sleepy and many people forget all about their stay in ICU very quickly.

How long will I be in the ICU?
This varies depending upon why you have been admitted to ICU. The average length of stay for a planned elective procedure is around 3 days but it really does depend upon the procedure and how quickly you recover - everyone is different.

Patients admitted following emergencies or accidents may stay in ICU for days or weeks. We will keep you or your family informed throughout and will certainly be trying to get you out of ICU and on to a normal ward as soon as it is safe to do so.

What happens after ICU?
When you are fit enough to be cared for in a normal ward, we will transfer you back into the care of your normal doctors and nurses.

We will advise you what to expect as the change from very intensive monitoring and supervision can sometimes be a little difficult to cope with at first.

The ward staff will be aware that you have been in ICU and will do everything they can to make the transition as comfortable as possible. 

You may have questions or concerns about your stay in ICU, especially if it was long or unexpected so we offer a 'follow-up' clinic where you can discuss your stay with one of our consultants and an ICU nurse.

We usually write to you at home a week or so after you are discharged from hospital to see if you would like to come and see us. It is very informal and usually takes about an hour.

We have produced a simple questionnaire to help you think about any problems or issues you may have experienced since your admission and this will be attached to your letter. (A copy is included on this website for reference)

What is the difference between an ICU and an ITU?
In practice they are much the same. Intensive Therapy Units deliver complex therapies to the critically ill whilst Intensive Care Units sometimes focus more on the comfort and well being of the patient. Our department is both but we use the term ICU for simplicity.

Will my operation be cancelled if there is no ICU bed available?
We do our very best to have an ICU bed available whenever it is needed because we know you need and have prepared for your operation. For major surgery requiring admission to ICU, it  is very important we have your bed available before the operation commences.

Whipps Cross is one of the busiest hospitals in the region so sometimes we have to admit patients from serious accidents or following unexpected events.

When this happens it may be that ICU becomes full. We will do everything possible to provide a bed for you but occasionally we are simply unable to admit any more patients.

Cancelling major surgery is always a last resort and we do not take this action unless we have tried all possible alternatives.

I have other questions about my admission to ICU
If you are being admitted to ICU for a planned procedure and would like to know more about what to expect, please contact us and we will try to help.

Of course we will not be able to give specific information until we meet you and know more about your procedure but will be quite happy to discuss general issues about ICU with you or your family if you have concerns.

Documents to download