Our facilities

The Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit has thirteen beds that can be used for either intensive care or high dependency care. There are three side-rooms (of which two have ante-chambers) for patient isolation or privacy. The unit was built in 2000 and is bright and airy with plenty of natural light.

Each bed space is equipped with monitoring and life support equipment such as ventilators. In addition, the unit has specialised equipment such as:

• Cooling machines
• Specialist spinal beds
• Cardiac output monitors
• Electroencephalogram (EEG) monitors
• Microdialysis and brain tissue oxygenation equipment
• Plasma exchange equipment

NICU has its own ambulance that is used to repatriate patients both from NICU and the wards of the Wessex Neurological Centre. This ensures that patients are returned promptly to their own hospitals (or home) when their need for specialist care is over and that our beds are used in the most efficient manner. The ambulance was bought by funds raised by the Smile4Rich Charity| that supports the Wessex Neurological Centre.

The hospital has a limited amount of accommodation for relatives. We do have one relatives’ room that can be used for brief overnight stays. In addition the hospital has accommodation at Mellor house; the hospital will ask you to pay for this service. We do have a list of local bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation available.