Intensive Care

What is Intensive Care?

What is an Intensive Care Unit?

An Intensive Care Unit is a highly specialised area within a hospital dedicated to providing continuous, round-the-clock care to patients with severe or life-threatening conditions. These patients often require intensive monitoring, specialised equipment, and high levels of medical intervention to stabilise their conditions, manage complex symptoms, and support vital functions such as breathing, heart rate, and circulation.

Intensive Care v Emergency

Intensive Care and Emergency serve distinct but complementary roles in the healthcare system.

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Australians and New Zealanders have a 1 in 2 chance of requiring intensive care at some time during their life.

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Features of an ICU

An Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has many features, including advanced monitoring, specialised staff, complex treatments, one on one care and a multi-disciplinary approach.

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Intensive Care Patients

Incredibly, 1 in 2 people across Australia and New Zealand will require intensive care at some point during their lives, a reality that touches every family, often more than once.

Intensive care is the life support of all major hospitals, providing essential support when patients are at their most vulnerable. Admission to intensive care could follow a sudden, life-threatening illness or accident, that has gut-wrenching effects on family and loved ones.

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Over 218,000 Patients

In 2025, 218,000+ people, including 12,297 children, were admitted to Intensive Care Units in Australia and NZ.

229

ICUs throughout Australia & New Zealand

206,257

Adults accessing ICU

Over 90%

Over 92% of adults & 97% of children survive life threatening accidents or illnesses with the help of intensive care.

Intensive Care Staff

Staffing Intensive Care Units across Australia and New Zealand requires a highly skilled and diverse workforce due to the complexity and intensity of critical care. These professionals play a crucial role in ensuring that patients receive the highest level of care, often in life-threatening situations.

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Survival Rates

In 2023, more than 210,000 people, including 12,000 babies and children, were admitted to Intensive Care Units across Australia and New Zealand. Thanks to the exceptional care they received, over 90% of adults and 97% of children survived their stay in ICU.

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Over 218,000 Patients

In 2025, 218,000+ people, including 12,297 children, were admitted to Intensive Care Units in Australia and NZ.

15,605+

Around 14,250+ nurses and 1,355 specialist doctors working in ICUs in Australia and New Zealand.

$5 Million +

Since 1990 the ICF has supported more than 160 ANZ research projects, providing over $5 million in funding.

229

ICUs throughout Australia & New Zealand