About our Unit

We are a eight bedded critical care unit located in Whangarei. We provide critical care services for the Northland DHB, this includes the peripheral hospitals located at Kaitaia, Dargaville and Bay of Islands.

We are located at Whangarei base hospital, which is the regional trauma centre for Northland. We are able to provide advanced respiratory, cardiovascular and renal support to both adult and paediatric patients. We admit approximately 500-600 patients per year of which around 20% are paediatric. Paediatric critical care services are provided in conjunction with our local paediatrician and, when necessary, the PICU at Starship in Auckland.

We have a telemedicine link to our peripheral hospitals and are able to view and interact with clinicians and patients to facilitate the best clinical care.

Vascular, Neurosurgery and Cardiac surgery services are provided by Auckland DHB.

We also provide a Helicopter transfer service, transferring  critically ill patients from both peripheral hospitals and scene of accidents to Whangarei and if needed onwards to our tertiary centres. This is staffed both ICU RMOs and  Critical care Nursing staff, all requests for Helicopter transfer are triaged by the on call ICU Consultant.