Te puna wai ora - Southern Critical Care is Dunedin Public Hospital’s new critical care unit. Located on the 5th floor of the hospital, we are transitioning into our new 22-bed mixed ICU/HDU space. Stage One is complete, with 12 state-of-the-art bed spaces currently open.

We are responsible for providing intensive care to a population of over 300,000 people living in Otago and Southland. This catchment area is the largest in the country, so we have a close working relationship with the Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust to provide a patient retrieval and transport service for the critically unwell.

Medical

We provide critical care support within our unit to patients of all ages with acute medical problems, with 1-2 emergency admissions every 24 hours. This includes short term care of children with acute illness requiring invasive ventilation or other support, or prior to transfer to Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland.

Surgical

We care for patients requiring critical care around the time of surgery, including cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery and major abdominal surgery. We have close working relationships with the anaesthesia, cardiothoracic surgery and neurosurgery teams. Several of our intensive care specialists also work in the department of anaesthesia.

Trauma

Dunedin Hospital is one of three tertiary major trauma centres serving the South Island, receiving severely injured patients from the local area, and those transported by air or road for specialised trauma care. ICU staff are part of the major trauma team caring for patients as they in the emergency department, support the retrieval of injured patients, and care for patients requiring close observation, intensive care support or major surgery following trauma.

Retrieval

Staff in our unit provide an aeromedical retrieval service to the region in cooperation with the Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust. Teams are dispatched 24/7 to assist in the retrieval of critically ill patients to Dunedin Hospital, and for interfacility transport from the Otago and Southland areas.

Organ Donation

As part of our care for critically ill patients, we work with Organ Donation New Zealand to allow patients to donate where possible.