PERSONAL PRACTICE

Interhospital transport to paediatric intensive care by specialised staff: experience of the South Thames combined transport service, 1998–2000

Y G Doyle¹ and F E Orr²

¹ Director of Public Health/Medical Director, South West London Health Authority, Mitcham, Surrey, UK
² Regional Retrieval Co-ordinator, South Thames, based at Guy’s Hospital, London, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Y G Doyle, South West London Health Authority, The Wilson Hospital, Cranmer Road, Mitcham CR4 4TP, UK;
yvonne.doyle{at}mswha.sthames.nhs.uk

The South London Combined Transport Service retrieved 1536 children aged 1 month to 16 years to paediatric intensive care (PIC) units usually in south London, over a 2.5 year period. Eighty one per cent of cases were for general PIC, the specialist cases being mainly cardiac and neurosurgical. The service commenced as part of a national framework for improved PIC and offers children with complex needs a safe specialist transfer. Clinician and parental satisifaction with the service appears high, although there are considerable service pressures. Intensive care beds were successfully located, helping to reduce fragmentation of PIC for this population.

Keywords: interhospital transport; intensive care

Abbreviations: AIC, adult intensive care; PIC, paediatric intensive care

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Are interhospital transport teams de-skilling the DGH paediatricians?

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ADC Online, 16 Sep 2002 [Full text]