Compassionate care for the critically ill
Mater’s critical care service comprises intensive care units in South Brisbane, Springfield and Townsville and a close observation unit in Rockhampton.
These dynamic and high-performing units are run by dedicated multi-disciplinary teams of critical care clinicians who deliver advanced monitoring, life-support therapies, complex peri-operative care and specialist medical and surgical intensive care using state-of-the-art technology 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our team members include intensive care specialists, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, dietitians, speech pathologists, social workers and other allied health professionals who work together to provide compassionate and high-quality evidence-based care to critical ill patients.
Patients who need critical care include those undergoing major surgery, patients undergoing cancer treatment and patients with life-threatening organ dysfunction. Our patients and their families are at the centre of what we do, and our team strives to support them throughout their journey with critical illness. We encourage patients and their families to ask questions about their care, and shared decision-making is at the core of our service model.
Visiting Critical Care Units
- Visiting hours are usually flexible; however, please check with each individual unit as local practice varies. Due to privacy and to facilitate care provision, a maximum of two visitors per patient are permitted at any one time.
- Please stay home if you are unwell in any way.
- Clean your hands thoroughly by handwashing or using the alcohol-based hand sanitiser provided before entering and after leaving the unit.
- Please keep noise to a minimum, turn mobile phones off or switch to silent mode.
- Flowers and large gifts such as stuffed toys and balloons are not permitted in the units, please also check with the team before bringing in any food items.
- We are constantly attending to patients’ needs; therefore, there may be times when visitors will be asked to wait outside to facilitate patient care or procedures.
- Support from family and friends is vital in patients’ recovery from major surgery and critical illness. In most cases your touch and your voice will provide the much-needed comfort to your loved ones in critical care.
Critical Care Units near you
Mater Hospital Brisbane
This is a tertiary intensive care unit and specialised neurosurgical and obstetric critical care centre that provides care to more than 1,000 critically ill patients each year. It supports critically ill patients in various South Brisbane facilities including Mater Hospital Brisbane, Mater Mothers’ Hospital, Mater Centre for Neurosciences, Mater Cancer Care Centre and Mater Young Adult Health Centre. In addition, the ICU is also a tertiary referral centre for patients requiring intensive care from around Queensland, from other states and internationally. This unit is affiliated with University of Queensland and is accredited for advanced ICU training and neurosurgical critical care training by the College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM) and it is a research centre for the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) Clinical Trials Group (CTG).
Services provided at Mater Hospital Brisbane ICU include:
- Advanced invasive and non-invasive ventilator support, cardiovascular monitoring and support, neuro-critical care, continuous renal replacement therapy and complex peri-operative care.
- Being the Obstetric Critical Care Centre for critically unwell pregnant patients.
- Supporting patients in the Mater Robotic Surgery Program.
- Supporting patients undergoing surgery for brain tumours, Parkinson’s disease and complex epilepsies in collaboration with the Mater Centre for Neurosciences and Brisbane Clinical Neuroscience Centre (BCNC)
- Supporting patients undergoing major cancer surgery.
- Supporting patients with sepsis and septic shock.
- Supporting patients with critical cardiac conditions in collaboration with the Mater Cardiology team.
- Supporting the Mater Hospital Brisbane Medical Emergency Team (MET) and Code Blue/Cardiac Arrest Response Team.
Mater Hospital Brisbane Intensive Care Unit
Salmon Building, Level 5
Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane QLD 4101
Phone: 07 3163 8111
Mater Private Hospital Brisbane
This is a tertiary intensive care unit that provides care to around 800 critically ill patients each year. It supports Mater Private Hospital Brisbane, Mater Emergency Care Centre and Icon Cancer Centre. This unit is affiliated with University of Queensland and is accredited for advanced ICU training by the College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM) and it is a research centre for the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) Clinical Trials Group (CTG).
Services provided at Mater Private Hospital Brisbane ICU include:
- Advanced invasive and non-invasive ventilator support, cardiovascular monitoring and support, oncological critical care, continuous renal replacement therapy and complex peri-operative care.
- Supporting cancer patients undergoing surgery, chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant.
- Providing perioperative care to patients undergoing major upper gastrointestinal tract surgery including oesophagectomy and gastrectomy, major hepato-biliary surgery, major orthopaedic surgery and major gynae-oncological surgery with intra-peritoneal chemotherapy.
- Supporting patients with sepsis and septic shock.
- Providing parenteral nutrition service to patients in Mater Private Hospital with the dietetics team.
- Providing Medical Emergency and Code Blue response for Mater Private Hospital.
Mater Private Hospital Brisbane Intensive Care Unit
Mater Private Hospital Brisbane, Level 8
301 Vulture Street, South Brisbane QLD 4101
Phone: 07 3163 8111
Mater Hospital Springfield
This state-of-the-art intensive care unit was opened in 2025 to provide care to critically ill patients in the Springfield and the wider Ipswich areas. The unit has been designed with patient care needs and pandemic readiness in mind to facilitate safe, comprehensive and compassionate care. Inclusion of a purpose-built patient terrace, a dedicated physiotherapy and rehabilitation area as well as design that let natural light are testament to our philosophy of enhancing patient recovery and healing in the critical illness journey.
A multi-disciplinary team of clinicians have been assembled under the leadership of experienced medical, nursing and allied health professionals to provide car of the highest quality to critically unwell patients.
Services provided include advanced invasive and non-invasive ventilator support, cardiovascular monitoring and support, continuous renal replacement therapy, enteral and parenteral nutrition, and complex peri-operative care.
The Mater Springfield ICU is a research centre for the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) Clinical Trials Group (CTG) and is expected to gain training accreditation with the College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM) in the near future.
Visiting hours are from 10am - 8pm.
Mater Hospital Springfield Intensive Care Unit
Level 4, Mater Hospital Springfield
30 Health Care Drive, Springfield Central QLD 4300
Phone: 07 3098 3900
Mater Private Hospital Townsville
Our highly trained team of medical and nursing staff have extensive experience in delivering intensive care for patients, and providing the highest level of care. The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is located on the second floor of the Pimlico Campus. It provides multidisciplinary care to a wide variety of critically ill patients in a highly technological, yet individualised and compassionate environment.
Health areas covered by this unit include:
Neurosurgical
Orthopaedics
Complex respiratory management
Sepsis
Oncology
Cardiac surgery
Renal failure
Post-operative management
Infectious diseases
Multiple organ failure
Obstetrics
The ICU is affiliated with James Cook University and provides the latest in care facilities and standards. The ICU is engaged in post-graduate nursing and medical education. It operates according to the Mater Private Hospital Townsville Patient-Centred Care Strategy - providing individualised patient care in an environment that respects patient wishes and observes each patient’s desires for privacy, compassion and family involvement.
For visitors
For our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients, visiting is restricted to people the patient considers to be immediate family. Children under the age of 16 are encouraged not to visit the ward, however if appropriate, may be able to after discussion with clinical staff.
Visiting hours for ICU are between 11am to 1.30pm and 3.30pm to 6pm, seven days a week.
Please note, to ensure patients have adequate rest and recovery periods, we promote a rest period between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.
We acknowledge that this can be a stressful time for families, so please do not hesitate to ask any questions of your care team.
Mater Private Hospital Townsville
25 Fullham Road, Pimlico QLD 4812
Ph: 07 4727 4444
Mater Private Hospital Rockhampton
The Close Observation Unit is a 6-bed Unit that offers services for cardiac, seriously ill and major post-operative patients. All of these beds are designated to provide additional monitoring capacity for cardiac patients and increased medical and nursing support.
For visitors
Visiting hours for the Close Observation Unit are between 9am to 1pm and 3.15pm to 8pm, seven days a week.
Please note, to ensure patients have adequate rest and recovery periods, we promote a rest period between 1pm and 3.15pm.
We acknowledge that this can be a stressful time for families, so please do not hesitate to ask any questions of your care team.
Mater Private Hospital Rockhampton
Ward Street, Rockhampton QLD 4700
Ph: 07 4931 3297
History and Timeline
The concept of an intensive care unit (ICU) and the specialty of intensive care medicine first started in Copenhagen, Denmark in the 1950s during the polio epidemic.
In the 1970s, a coronary care/high dependency unit was established in the old Mater Private Hospital (Augbigny Building). By 1983, the 5-bed unit was capable of providing mechanical ventilation to support patients undergoing neurosurgical and vascular procedures, among others.
