Inside Intensive Care: Management of the out of hospital cardiac arrest patient

Charlotte Ballantine

Team Lead Occupational Therapist, Bristol Royal Infirmary

I am an Occupational Therapist at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, based in the intensive care unit at Bristol Royal Infirmary. I deliver early functional and cognitive rehabilitation for critically ill patients, with a focus on mood, wellbeing, and delirium management.

I have experience across community and acute settings, with recent clinical focus in cardiac surgery and cardiology. I maintain a strong interest in the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest pathway, with a focus on strengthening rehabilitation across the full pathway from critical care through ward-based recovery and into the community.

I contribute to service development using quality improvement methodology. I use iterative change cycles, outcome measurement, and multidisciplinary collaboration to improve rehabilitation delivery, patient flow, and continuity of care across settings.

My clinical approach is grounded in evidence-based practice, integrating current research with clinical expertise and patient values to guide assessment and intervention. I apply a structured, holistic, and patient-centred model, targeting functional outcomes that support return to meaningful occupation following critical illness.

Allaina Eden

Physiotherapy Service Lead, Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Allaina is the Physiotherapy Service Lead at Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge. She trained at the University of Hertfordshire, where she returned to complete her Masters in advanced physiotherapy in 2015.  She has over 20 years’ experience as a Physiotherapist, with over 15 years in Intensive Care. 

Allaina is the Physiotherapy PAG Deputy Chair, Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care (ACPRC) Surgical Champion, ACPRC Editorial Board member, and chair of the UK ECMO Physiotherapy Network.  She presents regularly at national conferences and has led and co-authored many publications including national guidelines, scoping reviews and case series.

Clinical interests include complex rehabilitation and respiratory care following cardiothoracic surgery, transplantation, and long-term patients on Mechanical Circulatory Support.  Her areas of special interest are early rehabilitation, ECMO and physiotherapy, weaning from ventilation and lung ultrasound.  She is passionate about raising the profile of all AHPs working in Intensive Care.

Elizabeth Felton

Clinical specialist critical care occupational therapist, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Elizabeth is a registered Occupational Therapist with over 20 years NHS acute hospital experience working in London and Birmingham. She has spent the last 10 years working and specialising in critical care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. She has recently completed her MRes at the University of Birmingham and has a passion for research and development of early occupational therapy in intensive care.

Annie Martin

Cardiology Lead and Advanced Critical Care Physiotherapist, Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Annie is the Cardiology Lead for Physiotherapy, working across Critical Care and the wards at Royal Papworth hospital, Cambridge. Annie qualified from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in 2008 and has since developed a passion for Cardiology and Critical Care.  

Annie has presented internationally on the topic of rehabilitation and tracheostomy weaning with patients on Mechanical Circulatory Support.  

Annie is passionate about developing the physiotherapy input delivered to ‘In House Urgent’ Cardiology patients. With particular focus on frailty, respiratory optimisation and exercise intervention.  

Blessing Udo

Highly Specialist GI Surgery and Cardio-Respiratory Dietitian, St George’s Hospital and Royal Brompton Hospital

Blessing works as a Highly Specialist GI Surgery Dietitian at St George’s Hospital alongside her role as a Cardio-Respiratory Dietitian at Royal Brompton Hospital where she primarily works within the intensive care unit. She has an undergraduate degree in Dietetics obtained at the University of Hertfordshire and later pursued the desire to further her education at the University of Nottingham where she completed a master’s programme, MSc in Advanced Dietetic Practice, acquiring specialist knowledge in various clinical areas including renal, surgery and critical care.

She has a breadth of experience across a range of clinical areas including gastroenterology, oncology and surgery utilising a patient-centred approach to improve the nutritional status of patients through oral, enteral and parenteral routes. She has a keen interest in service improvement initiatives and has led and contributed toward various audit projects including the identification and management of refeeding syndrome in clinical practice in addition to the evaluation of nursing knowledge and administration of parenteral nutrition in critical care, to improve patient outcomes. Blessing works closely with the multidisciplinary team to provide a holistic approach towards patient care and consistently demonstrates her passion in nutritional advocacy to support the optimisation of the quality of patient care.