The Royal Liverpool University Hospital hosts the regional adult Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit (TIDU). The TIDU offers a wide variety of inpatient and outpatient services, in close collaboration with other units involved in the management of different highly infectious diseases.
We work closely with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and most of the clinicians in the LSTM also work in the TIDU.
LSTM clinicians have their own clinical directorate led by Dr Bertie Squire, Clinical Director. They provide separate clinics at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine for outpatient assessment of returned travellers who are unwell, and supports pretravel advice clinics provided in the Well-Travelled Clinic, for more information visit the Well Travelled Clinics website.
The directorate is a tertiary referral unit including admissions from the clinics of LSTM and manages a wide range of community acquired and healthcare associated infection in three dedicated wards at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
There is a combined infection consultation service with clinical microbiology and virology colleagues, supported by specialist pharmacists to enhance antimicrobial stewardship.
There are formal multi-disciplinary care pathways and clinics for tuberculosis, hepatitis C, bone infection and chronic fatigue as well as a large Royal HIV service, which acts as the hub for the Cheshire, Mersey and North Wales HIV Clinical Network.
HIV care is shared with clinicians of the Liverpool Axess Sexual Health Service and community-based practitioners (Clinical Lead for HIV services Dr Paul Hine).
The directorate is responsible for overseeing the Clinical Research Facility of the NIHR funded Biomedical Research Centre in Microbial Infections (Clinical Lead Dr Richard Fitzgerald).
More information
Written referrals are accepted from medical practitioners in the community and from other hospital settings (we act as a tertiary referral centre for the North West). Referrals are generally triaged to the appropriate shared clinic/consultant of the week. If a specific consultant is required, this should be made explicit.
Urgent outpatient referrals may be seen in the next clinic or assessed on one of the inpatient wards (discuss with consultant or specialist registrar via Royal Liverpool University Hospital switchboard).
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Royal Liverpool University Hospital
Address: Royal Liverpool University Hospital
Prescot Street
Liverpool
Merseyside
L7 8XPFor maps and other information visit our Getting Here page for Royal Liverpool University Hospital
Our Trust is one of five centres nationally to care for HCIDs within the UK. It requires a high level of training and expertise to manage and care for these patients. We care for Adults and Children in collaboration with Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
We collaborate and work with local, regional and national research teams to continue to develop review treatments for HCID patients.
We provide extensive training and support to other HCID and non HCID centres often, being called up on for our expert knowledge in managing such cases. We have developed and help open centres across the world. Infectious Diseases Consultant Mike Beadsworth is the HCID National Airborne Network Lead for the country.
Blood Borne Virus (BBV)
Hepatitis patients are managed using care pathways shared with the Hepatologists.
Inpatients
Inpatient services on the Infectious Disease wards include consultations and Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT), Clinical Pharmacology/General Internal Medicine. All ward responsibilities and clinics are shared with other consultant colleagues and supported by a large group of NHS and academic medical trainees and multidisciplinary teams.
There are many NHS based teaching, training and research opportunities including links to internationally recognised research and teaching expertise in Infection, Tropical Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology. A Clinical Research Unit is located at Royal Liverpool University Hospital and can undertake Phase 1 studies.
Infection
There is a combined infection consultation service with clinical microbiology and virology colleagues, supported by specialist pharmacists to enhance antimicrobial stewardship.
Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT)
The OPAT and Sepsis Team is an expanding clinical service within Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust working across both the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Aintree University Hospitals. Working in close collaboration with Microbiology/Infectious Diseases Infection consultation service, the OPAT team seeks to identify patients suitable for home intravenous (IV) antibiotic therapy, facilitate their early safe discharge and supervise their continued care at home.
The service supports the delivery of sepsis care through direct clinical care and staff training.
CFS/ME is a relatively common illness which affects 0.4% of the population. It involves a complex range of disabling physical symptoms that include fatigue, malaise, headaches, sleep disturbance, difficulties with concentration and muscle pain.
Although the causes of CFS/ME are not fully understood there are guidelines from the Department of Health that provide practical recommendations that can help people to manage the condition. This is the approach followed by the Liverpool CFS Service. The aim is to empower patients to be able to manage their symptoms, with a view to reducing their symptoms and increasing their physical, emotional, and cognitive capacity. Different combinations of approaches will be helpful for different people.
The CFS Service is spread across both the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Broadgreen Hospital.
CFS Diagnostic Clinic (Royal Liverpool University Hospital)
Patients are referred by their GP to the CFS Diagnostic Clinic to be assessed and diagnosed, where appropriate, with CFS.
CFS Therapy Service (Broadgreen Hospital)
When patients are diagnosed with CFS and where appropriate, they are referred to the CFS Therapy Service. The CFS Therapy Service is a multidisciplinary team which consists of a Clinical Nurse Specialist, Occupational Therapists, a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Therapist and Clinical Psychologists.
TB care is shared with community-based TB practitioners and holds a Service Level Agreement for the management of complex TB patients.
The department has close links with neurology including a clinic for neurological infection and holds specialist joint Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) neuroid clinics with clinicians from The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust.