The outreach team aims to ensure that patients at the Bristol Royal Infirmary receive their necessary specialist care outside of intensive care units.

The team is headed by nurse consultant Sandra Harriss and is made up of five nurses.

They will be working with ward-based doctors and nurses, and have 10 to 12 patient referrals or visits every day.

Sandra Harriss said: "The motive to set up the team comes from a Department of Health initiative to break down the walls of critical care."

Ward manager Nicky Brooks added: "We have found the outreach team to be very useful. They use their critical care skills to offer support and advice for our acutely unwell patients."