The inadequate supply of intensive care facilities has focused interest on intermediate care as a means of bridging the gulf between the level of support available in the intensive care unit and the general ward. However, few hospitals have developed intermediate care, in the form of high-dependency care units, and little information exists concerning the use or potential of such areas. Therefore, this review proposes to cover the definition of intermediate care and to discuss some of the possible reasons why intermediate care is now believed necessary. The capabilities of intermediate care for selected groups of patients and the treatment modalities offered are described. The present provision of high-dependency care in the United Kingdom is discussed and the methods for estimating the required size of a high-dependency unit are outlined. The impact of a high-dependency unit on the workload of the intensive care unit and the potential cost saving of managing such patients in an intermediate care area are illustrated.