Our Society blog

A patient playing football in an intensive care corridor. Another standing for the first time after a cardiac arrest.

Sarah Wallace OBE on the connection between voice and care

For Intensive Care Week, we're shining a light on the people, professions and expertise behind intensive care. As part of our ICU. I See You. campaign, we're sharing a series of 'day in the life' stories from across the intensive care community, recognising the different roles that come together to care for critically ill patients.  Here, James Jackson, ICU Dietitian at St George's Hospital, takes us through a typical day and the role nutrition plays as part of the wider critical care team.

Sarah Wallace OBE’s experience as a Speech and Language Therapist in Intensive Care 

With our 25th Congress now behind us, we thought we’d take a moment to reflect on SOA26, in particular from the perspective of our Professional Advisory Groups (PAGs).  

Our professional advisory groups bring specialists together, to share expertise and champion their field. James Bruce is chair of the Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) Professional Advisory Group. He explains the crucial role of AHPs in intensive care and how the group is supporting, educating and empowering its diverse colleagues.

Our professional advisory groups bring specialists together, to share expertise and champion their field. Allaina Eden, chair of the Physiotherapists Professional Advisory Group, explains how physiotherapy in intensive care is continuously changing, and how the group is helping to raise the profile of the profession.

Our professional advisory groups bring specialists together, to share expertise and champion their field. David Sapsford is chair of the Pharmacy Professional Advisory Group (PAG) – and has been a member since its start in 2019, only months before Covid broke out. He reflects on that time, along with what makes a career in critical care pharmacy both fascinating and humbling.

It has been a busy few months for public affairs at the Society. While this work can sometimes seem detached from the reality of the unit, our goal is simple: to make sure decision-makers listen to the frontline of intensive care. In this blog, Burcu Borysik, Head of Policy, Research and Standards at ICS, writes about our recent work and how members can get involved.

Our professional advisory groups bring specialists together, to share expertise and champion their field. Dr Ben Lowe is Chair of the professional advisory group (PAG) for resident doctors. He explains how the group is making work-life better for residents working in ICU across the country – through advocacy and education.  

Our professional advisory groups bring specialists together, to share expertise and champion their field. Graham Brant and Michaela Jones talk about their experiences of the Nursing Professional Advisory Group (NPAG), what they love about intensive care nursing, and how they’re helping to shape the future of UK practice.

From a single heart to a global society: the legacy of our founder. As we observe Heart Month, we reflect on our origins, and one of the visionaries who saw the future of intensive care medicine long before it had a name.

Our Finance and Membership Officer Rachel Oladunjoye writes about her apprenticeship journey.

With the SOA26 abstract deadline looming, we are looking back at the stories that define the Intensive Care Society’s Congress. One such story belongs to Andrew Boyle, our 2025 Rising Star winner. For Andrew, the path to the winner’s podium was the result of a decade of clinical and academic rigour.

Dr Sekina Bakare is a Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine, Critical Care Transfer, and Anaesthesia, a prominent voice in the medical community, currently serving as the Chair of the Intensive Care Society EDI Working Group and a member of our Consultant Intensivist Professional Advisory Group. In this post, Sekina reflects on her journey into the intensity of the ICU - not just as a scientist or a clinician, but as a leader dedicated to the human stories that define our most critical moments.

Thinking about submitting an e-poster for the SOA26? One of last year's presenters shares their journey from "pre-presentation nerves" to a successful showcase, including essential tips on formatting, data, and what to do if things go wrong on the day.

ICS President Shondipon Laha reflects on the publication of the COVID Inquiry and the need for greater preparedness for potential future pandemics.