Update on NICE guidance CG83 Rehabilitation after Critical Illness

In 2009 the Nation Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published their guideline on Rehabilitation after Critical Illness. Over one hundred thousand people spend some time in a critical care unit every year in the UK (NICE, 2009). Until recently there was little understanding of the longer term consequences of having a critical illness or what actually happens to patients once they are discharged. Even less thought was given to the consequences for families of the patients. Therefore the recognition of the physical and non-physical consequences of critical illness and the production of the NICE CG83 to guide management of patients was very welcome.