Department of Anaesthesia Critical Care Pain Northampton General Hospital
The Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care comprises a team of 30 consultants, one associate specialist, 6 staff grade doctors, specialist registrars from Oxford & Leicesterand 10 SHOs, supported by excellent secretarial and audit staff. We aim to provide a high standard of care to patients and enthusiastic teaching and training for junior staff.
Delivering acute services to the 700-bed hospital, the department currently administers approximately 15,000 anaesthetics a year. The directorate includes a recently expanded 8-bedded intensive therapy unit and outreach team, together with a self contained chronic pain unit attended by 650 new patients, with 3000 revisits per year. There is a 16-bedded HDU and we plan to invest further in our acute pain service.
We are proud of our modern and friendly training, aided by supportive, motivated and dynamic consultants and offering excellent clinical exposure to a wide range of clinical cases. Weekly tutorials for trainees and a protected half day, devoted to medical education for all staff, ensures that we have ample opportunity to remain up to date, review critical incidents and share joint mortality and morbidity meetings with other directorates.
The anaesthetic department is situated next to main theatres and a swipe card system is in operation to enter the department. The department consists of a main consultant’s office, which consists of desk space and computer facilities for all consultants. There is a trainee’s rest room with easy chairs and simple cooking equipment to allow for periods of relaxation when possible.
There is a departmental library which consists of books and relevant anaesthetic journals, computer facilities and pigeonholes for trainees and SAS. The department has its own electronic projector and laptop for use primarily within the department. The Cripps Postgraduate Centre has a purpose built lecture hall with IT support for presentations. There is a separate office for the clinical director and department manager. There is the secretary’s office with desk space and typing facilities for them.
