Over £14k awarded to help transport critically ill babies to St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol

Bristol Children’s Hospital charity, The Grand Appeal has been awarded a grant of £14,400 to help critically ill newborn babies being transported to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol.

The grant from the Morrisons Foundation will fund a dozen specialist infusion pumps that will deliver vital medication to babies as they are transported via road or air to the unit by the Newborn Emergency Stabilisation and Transport team (NEST).

The NICU at St Michael’s Hospital provides lifesaving care for the sickest babies in the South West and these critically-ill infants regularly need to be transported to the unit to receive specialist treatment only available in Bristol. In some cases, the journey is hundreds of miles long.

At such a delicate age, the prospect of transport from one hospital to another is extremely daunting for parents and families. The new specialist transport infusion pumps are certified for aeromedical transport and are more resilient to the bumps and vibrations experienced in transport, making a significant difference to the journey.

Patrick Turton, Lead Nurse on the Neonatal Emergency Stabilisation and Transport Team, said:

“Transfers can be really stressful for critically ill babies, who often weigh as little as a pound. It is our job to get them to where they need to go as safely as possible.

“Being able to use the new infusion pumps is so important to the team as having access to the very best kit will hugely reduce the stress that these tiny babies and their families feel.”

The new pumps are also much smaller and lighter, so it is much safer and easier to carry several pumps onboard to deliver multiple medications, particularly when transporting by helicopter, where every kilo counts. They also have a much longer battery life, which means the medical team are better equipped should they be delayed at all.

The Morrisons Foundation supports charities making a positive difference in local communities across England, Scotland and Wales, awarding grants for charity projects as well as a match fund for the money that Morrisons colleagues raise for their chosen charities.

David Scott, Morrisons Foundation Trustee said:

“The work of the NICU unit at St Michael’s Hospital is vital to so many babies and families across the whole of the South West. We are so pleased to be able to award this funding from the Morrisons Foundation to help support the important work of the team at the hospital.”

As the Bristol Children’s Hospital charity, The Grand Appeal funds ground-breaking medical equipment, three family accommodation houses, 20 specialist support staff and a programme of art, music and play in partnership with the hospital and its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Michael’s Hospital.

For more information on Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal and the services they help to fund please visit: www.grandappeal.org.uk.

Source: https://www.charitytoday.co.uk/over-14k-awarded-to-help-transport-critically-ill-babies-to-st-michaels-hospital-bristol/