General Intensive Care Unit, Southampton

A state-of-the-art general intensive care unit designed to improve patient wellbeing and promote faster recovery.

The new General Intensive Care Unit (GICU) is on the first floor of a four storey extension at the front of the main hospital with close links to other critical care departments, theatres and diagnostics.

The existing GICU is completely redeveloped to provide 32 fit-for-purpose intensive care beds in three clusters, two new build and one refurbished.

The requirements of observation, privacy and flexibility are balanced by providing a mix of open bays and isolation rooms (including a specialist burns room, with humidity control).

Extensive consultation with the clinical staff highlighted the importance of the environment on recovery and patient outcomes. The design maximises the provision of daylight whilst creating a sense of connection to the outside.

The focus on rehabilitation and recovery is reinforced by the provision of an innovative ‘winter garden’. This multi-use space brings light into the heart of the plan whilst creating space for rehabilitation activities and break out space for staff and relatives.

Patients and relatives are given greater control over their environment in the unique palliative care suite. The first in the UK associated with an ICU it will incorporate an immersive sensory environment.

Phase 1 of the project was delivered in 2020 on a very constrained site and involved building over a single storey live MRI department. The refurbishment element of phase 1 has been delayed due to Covid-19 and will be completed at a later date.

The remaining three floors are being developed as future phases to provide outpatients and extended theatre provision; an intra-operative threatre with a shared MRI, plus nine laminar flow theatres.