New edition of the Guidance on the Transfer of the Critically Ill Adult is now published
Today, we are delighted to announce the publication of the fifth edition of the Guidance on the Transfer of the Critically Ill Adult, a major revision and expansion of the guidelines that include greater detail in all areas, including descriptions of minimum equipment, medications, paperwork requirements and checklists.
Reflecting on the lessons learned from the pandemic, this updated edition provides expanded detail in almost every area of transfer medicine. To directly support intensive care professionals on the ground, we have introduced brand new chapters that clearly define the clinical expectations for minimum equipment standards, medication management, paperwork and documentation requirements, and comprehensive pre-transfer checklists. The new edition is also endorsed by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB).
Dr Scott Grier, Clinical Director, Retrieve Adult Critical Care Transfer Service and Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine at North Bristol NHS Trust and lead author of the new Guidance, says:
The intention with this latest edition is to continually evolve and add to this guideline over time. As work is undertaken on additional special patient groups and pathways, these will be added as additional supplementary resources.”
Each pathway is complex and requires an extensive group of stakeholders to ensure all aspects are accounted for.
The Guidance also includes emergency action cards, designed as quick-reference bedside aids for a range of potential clinical scenarios.
We are pleased to also release today the first of the additional supplements alongside the main document: the Maternal Transfers guidance, which specifically addresses the needs of critically ill maternity patients.
While sharing the foundation of general adult transfers, this supplement addresses the unique clinical considerations of the maternity population. Designed for the multidisciplinary team, it applies to critically ill maternity patients from 20 weeks’ gestation to 6 weeks’ postpartum.
Dr Steve Cantellow, Adult Critical Care Consultant at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and Maternity Lead at the East Midlands Critical Care Network, author of the maternal transfers guidance, says:
Transferring critically ill maternity patients need considerations beyond those of the general adult population. There needs to be tailored guidance to support safe transfer of these patients both within and between hospitals, particularly as many critical care units are not co-located with maternity services.
This supplementary guidance sets out a clear five-stage approach centred on multidisciplinary review, effective communication and preparation for potential complications. It is intended to support consistent decision-making and coordination between maternity, critical care and transfer teams.
Shond Laha, President of the Intensive Care Society, says:
I am very proud to see this new edition of our Guidance published today. To get here, we have collaborated with key stakeholders to ensure that our Guidance represents the needs of critically ill and injured patients requiring transfer within and between hospitals. This collaboration has led to the production of a definitive set of guidelines that we believe clearly and ambitiously set out the expectations and standards of care for this important group of patients wherever they are in the United Kingdom. I look forward to seeing it taken onboard in hospitals across the country.
