Abstract

The 1999/2000 winter demands on the NHS have once again highlighted deficits in UK critical care provision (Daily Telegraph, 2000; London Evening Standard, 2000). Recent years have seen the development of the role of health care support workers in the NHS; some critical care units now employ health care support workers. This research examined the views of critical care unit staff on the introduction of health care support workers into the critical care unit. It is concluded that the role is viable within the setting of this study. A framework is outlined that could form the basis for a critical care health care support worker training programme.