Paediatric Critical Care
Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
Paediatric Critical Care at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
Paediatric Critical Care at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital provides specialist care for critically ill and injured children across the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Paediatric High Dependency Unit (PHDU). The service is one of the largest children’s critical care units in the UK, with 27 beds increasing to 33 in winter, and supports children requiring ventilation, post-operative care, high-dependency monitoring and organ support.
Observers and fellows will experience how PICU and PHDU provide step-up and step-down care according to clinical need, including emergency admissions, planned post-operative admissions and children requiring specialist paediatric input from birth to 16 years of age. Clinical exposure may include trauma, neurosurgery, general surgery, haematology/oncology, bone marrow transplantation, neurology, metabolic medicine, renal, respiratory, cardiology and endocrinology pathways.
The programme provides insight into consultant-led ward rounds, 24-hour resident doctor and Advanced Clinical Practitioner support, skilled nursing coordination, and multidisciplinary input from allied health professionals including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, dietetics, pharmacy, clinical psychology and family support.
Fellowships and observerships at Manchester Specialist Health Academy provide international clinicians with structured opportunities to experience high quality healthcare training within a leading NHS environment. Both pathways offer consultant oversight, a clear induction, and access to modern clinical settings that support a strong understanding of advanced patient care. Participants are welcomed into a professional community that encourages learning, collaboration, and engagement with the culture of Manchester.
While fellows take part in more in depth clinical development, gaining exposure to subspecialties, procedures and research, observers focus on shadowing and understanding multidisciplinary practice within NHS services. Both groups benefit from involvement in clinics, team discussions, and wider learning activities such as simulation sessions, CPD opportunities, and quality improvement insight.
Academic contributions and awards
Study themes include blood pressure targets in intensive care, surfactant in bronchiolitis, non-invasive respiratory support, paediatric traumatic brain injury, outcomes after paediatric intensive care discharge, oxygen saturation targets during ventilation, feeding and survivorship after PICU, and prolonged mechanical ventilation.
Publication linked to RMCH paediatric critical care include work on acute kidney injury biomarkers in children receiving intensive care, and paediatric and neonatal intensive care ethics relating to limiting and rationing treatment.
Rare and complex cases
Observers and fellows may observe invasive monitoring, ventilation, complex drug therapies and multi-organ support involving breathing, circulation and kidney function.
Learning themes include emergency deterioration, post-operative critical care after major surgery, severe infection, neurological injury, respiratory failure, trauma, renal support, metabolic disease, haemato-oncology complications, bone marrow transplant-related critical illness and escalation or de-escalation between PICU and PHDU.
Why Manchester?
Manchester is a city of innovation and progress, renowned as the world’s first industrial city and still leading in science, healthcare, and technology. With excellent transport links and a vibrant, multicultural atmosphere, it offers an inclusive environment for learning and professional growth.
Beyond your placement, Manchester offers something for everyone - from watching the iconic Manchester derby to exploring world-class museums and galleries. With vibrant music, sport, and culture, the city truly has it all. Combining heritage and modernity, it creates a unique setting for personal enrichment and memorable experiences whilst you develop professionally.
Our signature programmes
Observership
Paediatric Critical Care
Objectives
By the end of the placement, the visiting professional should be able to:
- Describe the structure of paediatric critical care across PICU and PHDU within a large specialist children's hospital.
- Observe how children are assessed, monitored and managed when requiring ventilation, organ support, complex therapies or high-dependency care.
- Understand escalation and de-escalation between PICU and PHDU according to clinical need.
- Recognise the role of multidisciplinary working across intensive care, surgery, medicine, nursing, therapies, pharmacy, psychology, family support and specialist teams.
- Observe consultant-led ward rounds, safety-focused communication, daily planning and family-centred care within paediatric critical care.
- Understand how research, governance, transport interfaces and service coordination support safe paediatric critical care delivery.
Eligibility
- The visiting professional must have sufficient English language skills to engage meaningfully in the observership.
Fellowship
Paediatric Critical Care
Objectives
By the end of the placement, the visiting professional should be able to:
- Apply supervised clinical reasoning to the assessment and management of critically ill children in PICU and PHDU settings.
- Contribute to supervised discussions on ventilation, organ support, monitoring, escalation, de-escalation and post-operative critical care.
- Develop practical understanding of critical care pathways for respiratory, neurological, renal, metabolic, surgical, trauma and haemato-oncology presentations.
- Strengthen multidisciplinary communication with consultants, resident doctors, Advanced Clinical Practitioners, nurses, therapists, pharmacy, psychology and specialist teams.
- Engage with clinical governance, education, research, audit or service improvement activity.
- Reflect on transferable approaches to paediatric critical care safety, family communication, service coordination and future clinical leadership.
Eligibility
- Postgraduate Qualification: Applicants must hold an overseas-recognised postgraduate medical qualification (MD, MS, Masters) in ophthalmology or a relevant specialty.
- Experience: Minimum of 3 years’ recent experience in ophthalmology or a related specialty within the last 5 years, including at least 12 months of continuous practice before applying.
- Training Level: Equivalent to ST5 or above, or post-CCT clinicians seeking subspecialty exposure.
- Language Proficiency: IELTS Academic with 7.0 in each band and overall 7.5, or OET Medicine with Grade B in all domains, with certificate validity within 24 months.
- Registration: GMC registration is required for fellowship activity. Sponsorship support may be available through approved routes where appropriate.
- Applicants must not have failed PLAB exams previously.
- Visa sponsorship is only available through approved routes; self-funded visas outside agreed schemes are excluded.