Registered Charity No
1183373
Friends of PICU is a registered charity that supports children, their families and staff on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Southampton Children's Hospital. Southampton PICU is the regional lead centre for critically ill children aged from new born to 16 years. The children are admitted from 27 referring hospitals across the south of England and the Channel Islands, and from the various children's wards at University Hospital Southampton. Over 1,000 children are admitted each year for specialist care by the skilled and dedicated team. Whilst some admissions are planned, usually following cardiac, general or neurosurgery, more than half are emergency admissions across the 27 referring hospitals. To safely deliver these children to PICU a specialist PICU medical team is sent to stabilise and retrieve them. As the families may have travelled some distance for their child to receive this specialist care, accommodation is provided for them near to PICU.
Friends of PICU are very proud to have funded the expansion of PICU to 16 beds, from the previous 14, launched our 4th dedicated ambulance, and various items of specialist medical equipment, staff training, and craft materials to desensitise the medical environment, over the past 14 years. No child will pass through PICU without being helped by equipment and resources that Friends of PICU has purchased and donated. We also donate a very special and unique soft toy, Ellie the Elephant, to each child admitted helping to comfort and support them through such a difficult time.
The Trustees believe every child that requires care and support of the PICU should have the best possible care they need, and through our help and assistance we can provide additional funds to support the medical team. You, and all of our kind and generous supporters, are the means to help us achieve our goal. With your amazing support our charity continues to grow and the difference we can all make together continues to grow and have a long lasting impact.