Critical care transfers: core principles and logistics.

In the UK over 11,000 critically ill patients are transferred between hospitals each year. In addition, a significant number of critically ill patients are transferred to hospital from locations outside hospital such as rural general practice surgeries or the community. While specialist teams are available for some transfers, the majority are conducted by teams from the referring hospital. The aim of this article is to give an overview of the principles of critical care transfer, transfer platforms and the importance of a structured approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]