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Department of Critical Care Medicine | Auckland | Te Toka Tumai

Public Service, Intensive Care

Description

Critical care is the specialist care given to patients with sudden and potentially reversible life-threatening diseases or injuries. This can include following accidents, operations, severe infections or a coma. Critical care is divided into two areas; intensive care, where the sickest patients are cared for, and high dependency, where patients who are not well enough to return to general wards are cared for.
 
The Department of Critical Care Medicine (DCCM) is one of the leading critical care units in New Zealand, located on the 8th floor of Auckland City Hospital.  We provide intensive and high dependency care for patients over the age of 15 for all conditions except heart, lung and blood vessel surgery.  Our specialist areas of intensive care include liver, kidney and pancreas transplantation and neurological conditions.  Intensive care for heart, lung and vascular surgery is provided by the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Intensive Care Unit.
 
The unit is open 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year and is staffed by a large team of experienced doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.  We have 24 beds in total - 18 are open bed spaces, and the remaining 6 are isolation side rooms. We have over 1400 admissions per year of which 75% are emergency and 25% elective. The median length of stay in DCCM is 1.5 days, however patients may require a prolonged stay.
 
Patients may be admitted to Critical Care from the emergency department, hospital wards, operating theatre or following transfer from another hospital or intensive care unit.
 
The Department of Critical Care is staffed by a team of highly experienced and professional doctors and nurses who are supported by other healthcare professionals. Medical care is provided by specialist doctors (intensivists) who are trained to look after very ill patients and doctors training to be specialists in intensive care, anaesthesia, emergency medicine and internal medicine. Most nurses in critical care are also specialised with postgraduate training and qualifications in intensive care. Patients requiring intensive care treatment have a nurse allocated to look after them individually. High dependency patients may be cared for by a nurse who is also looking after another patient. Other essential staff members include physiotherapists, dietitians, pharmacists, radiographers, biomedical technicians alongside other healthcare professionals to help care for these very ill patients.
 

Consultants

Referral Expectations

Patients may be admitted to Critical Care from the Emergency Department, hospital wards, operating theatre or following transfer from another hospital or intensive care unit. Critical Care staff also provide help and support if a patient becomes seriously ill on a ward or in the Emergency Department.

Fees and Charges Description

If a patient is not eligible for public funded healthcare in New Zealand then there will be a charge for intensive care and high dependency services (except if the admission is due to accidental injury and eligible for ACC).

Visiting Hours

We are open 24/7 365 days a year but the DCCM is closed to visiting during the morning ward round which occurs between 8.30am - 11am.  The afternoon ward round that occurs between 4pm and 5pm and the night ward round between 9pm and 11pm.  You may be asked to leave briefly during these ward rounds.  Visiting between 10pm and 8.30am is by arrangement only.

Visiting is generally limited to next-of-kin or close friends and no more than 2 may be with the patient at a time. Patient care takes priority and visiting may not be possible when some procedures are being undertaken.

Children are permitted to visit, but as there are hazards present, please supervise children at all times to ensure their safety.

To reduce risk of infection, please clean your hands with alcohol gel before and after visiting the patient area. Flowers are not permitted in the patient area as they may be an infection risk.

Waiting rooms are provided in the Level 8 gallery nearby.

Refreshments

Refreshment vending machines are available in the Level 8 gallery, and there are food and beverage outlets on Level 5 open 8am - 7pm daily.

Accommodation

Overnight accommodation is not permitted in DCCM or the waiting area, but limited accommodation is available on-site at the Te Whare Awhina  (Ph. 09 307 4949 ext 25830) or nearby off-site at Domain Lodge (Ph. 09 308 0161).

Other

More detailed information including patient and family/whanāu pamphlets can be found on our ADHB DCCM Website

Website

www.adhb.health.nz/health-professionals/departments/dccm/

Contact Details

Auckland City Hospital

Central Auckland

2 Park Road
Grafton
Auckland 1023

Information about this location

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Street Address

2 Park Road
Grafton
Auckland 1023

Postal Address

Private Bag 92 024
Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland 1142

This page was last updated at 9:25AM on September 16, 2024. This information is reviewed and edited by Department of Critical Care Medicine | Auckland | Te Toka Tumai.