Long hours were spent in the waiting room and its surrounding areas just outside the unit.  Throughout this experience, my father and I noticed that improvements to the main room could only be beneficial for families and friends of patients.  Everyday in the future, friends and families of patients will spend weeks at a time in this room; whether it is to escape the draining nature of the unit or to sit waiting for good or bad news.  Any improvements made to the facilities and interior would be a huge help to those who will, no doubt, be enduring the painful experience of having someone close to them in a critical condition. 

I am working in conjunction with staff on the ITU ward in our aims to benefit the unit.  We have discussed a wide range of their needs and the following pointers are some examples of what we wish to achieve.  Within the main waiting room, we aim to add a new kitchen area which will include new cupboards, a dishwasher and additional furniture.  Currently, an overnight room is provided for relatives who wish to stay the night at the hospital.  Sadly, the room is far from appealing.  We aim to redecorate this whole area.  We intend to buy a new bed with two sets of linen, will update the en-suite bathroom and provide new bedroom furniture. The Unit has also informed me that part of the funds raised will be used for other benefits, such as study days for the ITU nurses and comfortable chairs for patients who are fresh out of bed and on the way to recovery.

I feel that this is a branch of the John Radcliffe where either miraculous recoveries are made or, sadly, heart-rending tragedies occur.  It is, however, also a ward which, on a daily basis, experiences extremities of intense physical and emotional strain, which some people can only imagine.  I believe that anything I can do to help those involved in the horrific situations that the ITU sees on a regular basis is, without any doubt, a worthwhile cause.