Critical care — Waikato
Critical care at Waikato Hospital includes the intensive care unit (ICU) and high dependency unit (HDU). We are in a state-of-the-art facility providing specialist care to people in the Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Waikato region.
Contact us
For critical care, contact:
- patient enquiries — phone: 07 839 8899
- intensive care unit — phone: 07 839 8899 (extension 96570)
- high dependency unit — phone: 07 839 8899 (extension 96513)
Where to find us
Critical care is in the Meade Clinical Centre at Waikato Hospital. It is near the emergency department, operating theatres and main hospital circulation routes.
Level 4
Meade Clinical Centre
Waikato Hospital
183 Pembroke Street
Hamilton 3204
Visitors and Patient information
If your loved one is in Critical Care—also known as the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)—it means they need extra support and close monitoring to help them recover. This may be because they are seriously unwell, have had major surgery, or need specialised treatment.
In the ICU, patients receive one-on-one or one-to-two care from experienced nurses, and are connected to advanced equipment that helps us keep a close eye on their condition at all times.
Our Critical Care team is here 24 hours a day, with doctors always nearby and ready to respond quickly. We understand this can be a stressful time, and we’re here to support both patients and their whānau every step of the way.
Our unit is a 24 hour one and we have no set visiting hours. If your loved one is critically unwell we can usually facilitate visitation at any time. In order to not disrupt sleep patterns of patients, daytime visits are preferable. We also encourage families to make sure they are caring for themselves when a loved one is critically unwell.
For space reasons, we limit to two visitors at a time (unless exceptional circumstances). Please talk to the reception staff at the waiting room before entering, they will ensure it is a suitable time.
We appreciate our visitors understanding for the points during the day when you may be asked to vacate the bedspace or wait in the waiting room before entering - this is to allow for important patient cares that require privacy (turning and cleansing) and procedures and/or medical assessment.
Our Kaitiaki and Social Work supports can be contacted for assistance. While many of our patients may not be from the immediate vicinity of Waikato Hospital, the hospital only has a limited number of accommodation options available for whanau, however all efforts will be made to support how we can.
Waikato ICU functions mostly as a Paediatric High Dependency Unit (HDU) - this means that we have a low threshold to admit paediatric patients for monitoring and support, and will care for moderately unwell infants and children in our unit working closely with our local paediatric colleagues.
We work closely with Starship (New Zealand's Paediatric Intensive Care Unit - PICU) in Auckland, and our more unwell children are typically transferred there for ongoing specialist paediatric care, usually within 24 hours.
Where possible, we aim to care for our children is our more private side rooms, and usually can facilitate a parent to stay at all times.
We appreciate your assistance in caring for our patients by respecting the following:
- No photography without checking with your nurse (privacy is tantamount)
- Minimise excess personal belongings or large cumbersome gifts given restricted space
- No flowers please - patients with fragile lungs are often present
- No aggression or intoxication will be tolerated and you will be asked to leave the hospital
Services we provide
Critical care is where specialist care is given to people when rapid, potentially reversible, life-threatening diseases or injury occur, such as:
- a major accident
- a severe infection
- coma
- following a major operation.
Critical care is divided into 2 areas:
- intensive care unit (ICU), where critically ill patients are cared for
- high dependency unit (HDU), where people who require extra monitoring are cared for.
Critical care provides a healing and supportive environment for patients and whānau, as well as ideal conditions for our staff attending to patients.
Intensive care unit (ICU)
The intensive care unit (ICU) is a 16-bed facility that provides sophisticated care and life support to critically unwell or injured people. We care for people undergoing cardiac surgery, paediatric and general adult intensive care.
The department runs an inter-hospital critical care service that transports patients back to Waikato Hospital from other hospitals in the Te Manawa Taki | Midland health region, Bay of Plenty, Tarawhiti and Taranaki.
The ICU team is an important part of the cardiac arrest and trauma teams at Waikato Hospital.
High dependency unit (HDU)
The high dependency unit (HDU) is a 12-bed unit that provides special expertise for adult patients requiring intensive monitoring and treatment following surgery, trauma and medical or surgical conditions. It works closely with the intensive care unit.
Health careers in Waikato
Known for its underground wonders, black sand surf beaches and rolling green hills, the Waikato region offers a wealth of nature-based activities and attractions surrounding a vibrant city hub.