Post-intensive-care support group looks to expand

The service offers support to patients discharged from intensive care

A service that offers support for patients after they have been discharged from intensive care is hoping to expand.

The Critical Care Follow-up Clinic and Support Group, in Wolverhampton, helps patients cope with post-traumatic stress from hospital stays when they were seriously ill.

The unit wants to start offering patients rehabilitation sessions such as in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy.

Currently treating three patients a month, the service said it wants to provide support for eight to 12 patients a week.

The follow-up clinic was set up in 2013, to provide support for patients who spent time in the Integrated Critical Care Unit (ICCU) ward under The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT).

In 2015, the addition of a support group was provided for patients using the service to share experiences together.

'Severely sleep deprived'

Vicki Hartmann, who has led the service since 2018, said: "It is such an important service that acknowledges the traumatic experiences the patient has been through and gives support to those that need it.

“We get them to talk about their experiences and about what they remember and what they don’t, because there are a lot of ‘false’ memories too."

The service helps patients who are "often severely sleep deprived" and might be suffering delirium, hallucinations, nightmares and paranoia.

It said patients with mental difficulties can also develop physical ones, such as muscle weakness and imbalance.

“For some patients, it’s a relief to know that what they’re going through is quite common and they’re not on their own,” Ms Hartmann added.

The clinic currently runs once a month and the support group holds a session on a Monday, every other month.