Welcome our Post operative critical care unit (POCCU) which is situated within our ITU.

Following your surgery, you may be admitted to our unit for a period of between 24 – 48 hrs if it is felt that you require any of the following:  Closer monitoring, drugs to help support your blood pressure or additional support for your breathing that cannot  be delivered on the surgical ward.  

 The nurse/patient ratio is higher in POCCU than on a ward, and the nursing staff have received additional training in respiratory and other organ support to be able to provide an enhanced level of care for you post operatively.  You will also receive shared care between your surgical team and our anaesthetic team.

 

We have 4 bed spaces within the unit, these are located within critical care.  We are not able to offer same sex accommodation during your stay, however we will try to put male and female patients together, and we will always maintain your privacy and dignity.

This is one of the bed spaces…

 

• On admission to the unit, you will be attached to monitoring leads which will allow us to observe your vital signs
• You will be closely monitored, and your pain relief will be assessed regularly
• The nurses will need to take some routine admission swabs, and send off blood samples for screening
• You will hear different noises and alarms, but these are all to help monitor your condition
• If you need a little more support for your breathing following your operation, you will be put onto a nasal oxygen that also delivers a high flow

 

You will meet lots of people during your stay on POCCU.

• Your surgical team will review your clinical condition & recovery from the surgery daily
• You will be seen daily by an anaesthetist to review your clinical condition and your pain relief
• You will have a nurse in the bay at all times helped by health care assistants to care for you after your procedure
• Specialist nurses will be involved in your care such as pain nurse and possibly stoma nurses
• A pharmacist will review your medications
• And you will be treated by physiotherapists

Within a period of 24 – 48 hours you should no longer require the additional support that POCCU provides, at which point you will be able to be transferred back to a surgical ward. You will be followed up by one of our critical care outreach nurses who will visit you when you are back on the ward. We have reintroduced visiting on the unit following the Covid pandemic, however there are still some restrictions in place, visiting is limited to 2 people for 1 hour per day. Nursing staff will contact your loved one when you are admitted to the unit, and give regular daily updates.
We also offer zoom calls if this is something you would like to do.