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• Intensive care >> Intensive care: Patients' experiences >> Aged 41-50 >> Interview 04 >> She was discharged because she could walk and her partner could look after her at home.

Had bowel complications and septicaemia. Was in intensive care for nearly 5 weeks. Spent 1 week in a High Dependency Unit and was then discharged.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: Patients' experiences >> Aged 61-70 >> Interview 27 >> Learning to walk again felt like a big step forwards and he always told his family how he was doing.

Was admitted to intensive care in 2005 because of pancreatitis and septicaemia. Spent 2 weeks in intensive care, 2 weeks in a High Dependency Unit; 6 weeks in a general ward, and 2 weeks in a rehabilitation hospital.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: Patients' experiences >> Aged 31-40 >> Interview 34 >> He was looking forward to going home but was transferred to another hospital for an operation.

Was admitted to intensive care in 2001 because of acute pancreatitis. Spent 46 days in intensive care and 1 month in general ward. Needed to have surgery and was transferred to another hospital. Spent 4 weeks in hospital before surgery, 30 days in intensive care and 3 months in general ward. Overall length of stay in 2 hospitals was 7 ½ months.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: Patients' experiences >> Aged 41-50 >> Interview 25 >> He was eager to recover and was sometimes already at the gym doing exercises when the physiotherapist came looking for him.

Was admitted to intensive care in 2003 because of severe pneumonia, septicaemia, liver abcess and kidney failure. Spent about 4 weeks in intensive care and 2 weeks in a general ward.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: Patients' experiences >> Aged 51-60 >> Interview 30 >> She found it hard to balance properly using a Zimmer frame but continued practising, determined to recover enough to go home.

Was admitted to intensive care in 2005 because of epiglottitis and severe sepsis. Spent about 6 days in intensive care and 5 days in a High Dependency Unit.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: Patients' experiences >> Aged 61-70 >> Interview 27 >> He was terrified when he fell into his Zimmer frame but says people must accept the challenges physiotherapists set them.

Was admitted to intensive care in 2005 because of pancreatitis and septicaemia. Spent 2 weeks in intensive care, 2 weeks in a High Dependency Unit; 6 weeks in a general ward, and 2 weeks in a rehabilitation hospital.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: Patients' experiences >> Aged 61-70 >> Interview 03 >> He just had to talk to a doctor, and managed to use his Zimmer frame alone to walk down the ward to do it.

In 2002 had throat surgery and knew he would go to High Dependency Unit afterwards. Overnight, however, had Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and needed emergency bronchoscopy. Was in intensive care for 5 weeks and in ward for 5 weeks.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: Patients' experiences >> Aged 61-70 >> Interview 27 >> He thought rehabilitation hospitals were for the elderly but soon adjusted and made excellent progress with the help of physiotherapists.

Was admitted to intensive care in 2005 because of pancreatitis and septicaemia. Spent 2 weeks in intensive care, 2 weeks in a High Dependency Unit; 6 weeks in a general ward, and 2 weeks in a rehabilitation hospital.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: Patients' experiences >> Aged 31-40 >> Interview 35 >> He sometimes felt frustrated when his progress was slow but a huge sense of achievement when he could walk again.

Was admitted to intensive care in 2004 because of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. This is a rare disorder of the peripheral nerves, those outside the brain and the spinal chord. Spent 17 days in intensive care and about 1 week in general ward. Was then transferred to rehabilitation ward in another hospital, and spent about 3 months there.