Intensive care staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) are gearing up for a sponsored bike ride to raise funds for the patients they treat.

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) charity bike ride takes place on Monday 6 May 2013 in Warwickshire. Staff will take on either a 15-mile or a 45-mile route beginning and ending at Balsall Common Cricket Club.

The family event is being organised by Tony Whitehouse, Consultant in Critical Care and Anaesthesia at the hospital.

He said: “Intensive care is a young speciality and research in ICU is in its infancy. Sepsis (or septicaemia) is the 9th biggest killer in the world and the only disease whose rates are increasing rather than going down.

“Imagine what could happen over the next few years if the advances made in treating cancer could be reproduced in treating the critically ill.

“Our aim is to get 50 nurses, doctors, physios, dietitians, secretaries and anyone else associated with the ICU at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham to take part in our sponsored cycle ride. As well as seeing the beautiful Warwickshire countryside and me in lycra, we will also be raising vital funds for the hospital’s official charity.”

To find out more about the challenge or to make a donation, please visit the bike ride's JustGiving page.