Service For London's Sick Children Gets Significant Boost

LIFESAVING London-based medical teams and aircrew came together this week to celebrate the arrival of a new fleet of ambulances.

St John Ambulance's London District has taken delivery of six new state-of-the-art emergency vehicles which are specifically used in the rapid transportation of critically ill children.

The ambulances will provide a huge boost to the work which St John Ambulance carries out in partnership with CATS (Children's Acute Transport Service) and helicopter crews from RAF Search and Rescue, in conveying patients to specialist hospitals in London.

The Children's Acute Transport Service (CATS) is a collaborative initiative by Great Ormond Street, The Royal Brompton and St Mary's NHS Trusts and is a vital service dedicated to make intensive care rapidly available to critically ill children in the North Thames and East Anglia region.

RAF crew from Suffolk will regularly fly children to a destination in the Capital, where they are met by a St John Ambulance vehicle and transferred to a intensive care unit.

To mark the occasion of St John Ambulance taking delivery of their new vehicles, crews from each of the organisations gathered together on the airfield of RAF Wattisham to stage a photocall alongside the Sea King helicopters.

Martin Henderson, Deputy CEO of St John Ambulance London (Prince of Wales's) District, said: 'Taking delivery of the new vehicle fleet consisting of three Paediatric Intensive Care Ambulances and three support vehicles will greatly improve and strengthen the capacity for transferring seriously ill children.

'Every year we transport some 1200 children and our vehicles will typically travel around 100,000 miles as part of our work for CATS.'

'Our work with St John Ambulance London and the CATS team forms a key part of our Search and Rescue activity,' said Wing Commander Steve Bentley, Commanding Officer for RAF 22 Squadron.

'We are delighted to be joining with them to celebrate the arrival of their new vehicles - particularly during the week that marks the birth of Douglas Bader, who was himself based in Suffolk during his days in the RAF.'

St John Ambulance London has 4,000 members, with a strong youth contingent meeting at divisions around the capital.

The organisation also delivers first aid training courses for businesses and individuals throughout Greater London.