'A bridge to the future': impact on high dependency and intensive care.

The availability and increased demand on Paediatric Intensive Care beds continues on line with the advances with medical technology. The provision of District General Hospitals providing level 1 care and initiating level 2 is extremely important. Critically ill children requiring transfer to a tertiary centre require an efficient retrieval team. Care of critically ill children should always be provided by appropriate trained and experienced nursing staff. The partnership and negotiation of care for parents and relatives should be maintained as a high priority in PICU.