Paediatric ICU (PICU)

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Paediatric ICU (PICU) Visiting Professional Programme provides international clinicians the chance to experience one of the biggest mixed paediatric ICUs in the UK.

Introduction

The Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust Paediatric ICU Visiting Professional Programme (VPP) is designed to provide international visiting professionals with the opportunity to experience our paediatric ICU unit first hand. The programme is a unique chance to be fully integrated within the quaternary PICU based on Forest Ward at Evelina London, one of the largest providers of children’s services in London and at the forefront of clinical activity, training and research.

This unique Paediatric ICU Visiting Professional Programme enables visiting professionals to work within the lead centre PICU for the South Thames Critical Care network and one of the biggest mixed (general and cardiology) paediatric ICUs in the UK. Evelina London PICU is one of the few UK mixed general and cardiac PICU’s with an integrated retrieval service, providing emergency transport for critically ill children from the South East of England. Evelina PICU is also is one of the first units in the UK to provide an in-house bronchoscopy and airway stenting service delivered from within the PICU consultant team. Teaching and training is a major focus in the PICU and a national course for training paediatric critical care advanced nurse practitioners is delivered from within the PICU consultant body. The paediatric research lead for Evelina is a consultant in the paediatric ICU, making this programme ideal for those wishing to witness the mechanics of research as part of their programme. Visiting professionals will also be working within one of the most innovative paediatric units in the country with the national diabetic guidelines driven from the PICU, first unit in the UK to train and use paediatric critical care advanced nurse practitioners on retrieval, first paediatric emergency drug calculator in the UK pioneered by the Evelina unit and the involvement of parents during the transfer process and subsequent care of their children in PICU.

The programme has been designed by our clinical leads to provide a unique development experience which enables visiting professionals to broaden their clinical expertise in the PICU and on retrieval and learn new skills that can be transferred back to their workplace. We are excited to deliver exclusive access to observe and work alongside our Evelina Hospital PICU team based on Forest Ward, and to provide an opportunity for international professionals to gain insight into our Trust and the role that clinicians within paediatric ICUs play within the NHS.


Programme aims

The programme is aimed at those who wish to extend their expertise in paediatric ICU in the UK.

The programme aims to include:

A Certificate of Attendance will be awarded to visitors upon the end of their programme.


Format

The Paediatric ICU programme is delivered within the hospital workplace and it has been designed by our clinical leads to educate visitors in a range of complex and emergency cases through exposure to acute resuscitation and stabilisation on retrieval, ward rounds and internal education activities such as research meetings. A typical weekly schedule includes ward rounds, cardiac, radiology and multi-disciplinary meetings, plus several hours of education and training.

Visiting professionals will also be able to get involved with the paediatric ICU’s outreach teaching programme to the South Thames Critical Care Network of 25 district general hospitals. Here high fidelity simulated paediatric emergencies are used in the teaching and training of local teams to improve expertise during paediatric resuscitation and stabilisation for transfer. Visiting professionals will be welcomed to take part as observers or assistants during these outreach sessions.

The programme allows visitors to be fully integrated within the day to day service of our teams. We will also align visitors with supervisors from within the clinical team who will provide one to one support and ensure that all of the learning and development needs and expectations are met.


Who can apply

This programme is intended for non-U.K. paediatricians, trainee paediatricians, anaesthetists (for clinical rotations), nurses, intensive care nurses or advanced nurse practitioners. All job levels are considered from consultants to senior trainees, as well as senior nurses wanting to explore critical care advanced nurse practice.

Visitors have the choice of applying for a hands-on attachment or observership programme. Those wishing to apply for a hands-on attachment must have GMC registration and NMC registration. You can apply for GMC registration directly through the main GMC website, alternatively The Royal College of Physicians run a medical training initiative which facilitates GMC registration and provides sponsorship for a Tier 5 visa. You can find out more about their Medical Training Initiative by visiting their website. NMC registration can be applied for NMC website.


Programme duration

It is recommended that in order to get the most out of the Paediatric ICU programme, that visiting professionals undertake a hands-on attachment placement of at least 6 months. However, the programme’s duration can potentially be tailored to the specific learning requirements of those visiting the Trust.


Paediatric ICU (PICU) service

Evelina Hospital’s Forest Ward hosts the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. It’s a 20 bed unit and provides intensive care for critically ill children from south east England and beyond.

Evelina’s PICU is the lead centre for critically ill children for the south Thames region and provides a wide range of services and clinical expertise. It’s also a busy cardiac unit, providing all types of cardiovascular surgery (excluding cardiac transplant).

The South Thames Retrieval Service – a paediatric intensive care retrieval service which transfers critically ill children from across the south east to intensive care units in London, is based in the Evelina PICU and staffed from within the main PICU staffing pool.

Research

The PICU team constantly participates in research to improve patient care. We are currently studying coagulation following paediatric cardiovascular surgery, as well as being involved in multiple sub specialty projects where children have become acutely unwell.

Evelina London Children’s Hospital

At Evelina London we provide a comprehensive range of children’s healthcare services, so that we are able to look after patients from antenatal diagnosis through childhood, into adolescence and on into adult life.

Evelina co-ordinates complex care for children across the South Thames region, working in partnership with King’s College hospital, the Royal Marsden Hospital and St George’s Hospital.

We are the second largest provider of children’s services in London.

Children’s services provided in Evelina London and St Thomas’ Hospital treat around 55,000 children a year.

We have 130 inpatient and day beds, 20 paediatric intensive care beds, 46 neonatal cots, six operating theatres and a busy kidney dialysis unit.


Example Timetable

Monday morning

  • 1 hour sit down ward round teaching

Monday afternoon

  • 1 hour lunchtime ward round with duty consultant
  • 1.5 hour evening ward round with duty consultant

Tuesday morning

  • 1 hour sit down ward round teaching

Tuesday afternoon

  • Radiology clinic
  • 1 hour lunchtime ward round with duty consultant
  • Infectious diseases Multi-disciplinary meeting
  • 1.5 hour evening ward round with duty consultant

Wednesday morning

  • 1 hour sit down ward round teaching

Wednesday afternoon

  • 1 hour lunchtime ward round with duty consultant
  • 3 hour cardiology multi-disciplinary meeting
  • 1.5 hour evening ward round with duty consultant

Thursday morning

  • 1 hour sit down ward round teaching

Thursday afternoon

  • 1 hour lunchtime ward round with duty consultant
  • 1.5 hour evening ward round with duty consultant

Friday morning

  • 1 hour sit down ward round teaching

Friday afternoon

  • 30 mins cardiac teaching
  • 1 hour lunchtime ward round with duty consultant
  • 1 hour afternoon ward round with duty consultant
  • 1.5 hour evening ward round with duty consultant

Fees

A course fee per week will be applied; this fee excludes accommodation and travelling expenses. To find out the fee amount please email vpp@gstt.nhs.uk.


Please note

Clinicians are able to offer bursaries or discounted placements on an individual basis. This is at the discretion of the Directorates of GSTT and does not affect the terms and conditions of the Visiting Professional Programme agreements.

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Visiting Professional Programme attendee

I enjoyed my time and learned a lot. The people are welcoming and the teaching system is well developed. The best thing that inspired me the most is the approach PICU have with parents and the childish environment, which I find amazing here

Doctor from France