(Covered by ITV.com) A former intensive care patient has hailed a Jersey support group set up to help survivors as "vital" to recovering from a traumatic illness.
The Jersey Critical Care Survivors Charity was created by ICU nurse Holly Fisher and is now inviting others to share their experiences in an understanding environment.
It is the first of its kind in the island and hopes to assist patients in managing the difficulties they may face after leaving hospital.
Jacqui Jepson was a patient in ICU after suffering from sepsis, pneumonia and a collapsed lung. She was in hospital for a total of two weeks and is now a mentor within the group.
"Often people think that when a patient leaves ICU they're better, when in reality recovery is only just beginning. Many need therapy to help them cope with not just the physical recovery but also the mental trauma after being so terribly ill."
This month's meeting took place on Wednesday 14 July at 5:30pm in the Lido Medical Centre.
"I think your recovery starts quite a while after you have been discharged from hospital. You're not discharged recovered, you're discharged well enough to continue your recovery. I think that's probably a good way to say it. For me it was at least 6 months and you're given a ballpark region of about 18 months before you feel that you're really on the road back to normal life."
Jacqui Jepson
She explained anyone who is an ex-patient can join to talk about their feelings during an informal session.
"It's difficult to try to talk to somebody that hasn't been in the same situation I think its really hard to try and explain exactly how debilitating it is and how it feels you leaving after the event."
Mentor and former ICU patient, Jacqui Jepson
Jacqui has said the service is "vital" for those who have left ICU.
"The few ex patients that we have had in at the moment you can really see and you can really feel the need for it. It doesn't matter if it was four years ago or one year ago I think sometimes the feelings are still very very raw. Just to be able to talk about that with other likeminded people I think it is really key especially with the current climate as well."
Mentor and former ICU patient, Jacqui Jepson