Critical Care Transfers 

Why do we move critically ill or injured patients from one hospital to another?

It is vital that critically ill or injured patients are treated rapidly in an acute hospital, in order to stabilise them or limit their injuries. However, there are several instances when such management may be followed by further (secondary) transfer to another acute hospital:

Clinical transfer
When the facilities needed for treatment are not available at the initial hospital.

Capacity transfer
When the initial hospital has inadequate equipment, bed capacity, staffing or monitoring to provide the necessary care.

Repatriation
Highly specialised hospitals may need to continually prioritise for their speciality, to ensure they can treat the next patient who needs their facilities, through transferring patients that no longer require that specialist treatment. Patients may also be moved back to hospitals nearer to their home and family. In these cases, patients will have had their specialist treatment, are almost always stable and the transfer may involve a step-down in the level of their care.
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If your relative requires moving to another unit, the staff in critical care will inform you and answer any questions you may have.