Minister for Health and Ambulance Services The Honourable Tim Nicholls
Queensland Innovation Delivering Better Care For Babies And Children
Queensland innovation delivering better care for babies and children
- Queensland produces world-first, purpose-built neonatal retrieval units for Queensland’s sickest babies.
- The $350,000 units will be used to safely transfer more than 150 babies for medical care each year.
- Connecting2u health program expanding to help parents and carers until their child is five years old.
The Crisafulli Government has launched a world-first cot to safely transport babies in need of urgent or life-saving specialist care.
The two neonatal retrieval units, each costing around $350,000, were custom-designed through a collaboration between Queensland paediatric retrieval specialists and aeromedical engineers.
The one-size-fits-all units are the first of their kind to be compatible with most retrieval vehicles, including road ambulances, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
Babies are transferred to the Queensland Children’s Hospital or other major hospitals for specialist treatment for a range of conditions such as sepsis, cardiac issues or complex respiratory illnesses.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls launched the retrieval units at the Queensland Children’s Hospital today, while also announcing the expanison of Connecting2u.
Connecting2u is a free opt-in text messaging service that offers new parents and carers timely information, tips, and health check reminders to support their child’s health, from pregnancy until their child is five years old.
The Crisafulli Government is taking decisive action to treat, diagnose and cure Labor’s Health Crisis, and is delivering easier access to health services for all Queenslanders.
Minister Nicholls congratulated the Children’s Health Queensland Retrieval Service and HeliMods teams for combining their expertise to deliver a significant advancement in retrieval care for babies and their families everywhere.
“The world-first units ensure critically unwell infants receive the safest and best possible care on the way to hospital,” Minister Nicholls said.
“They are a crucial lifeline for the more than 150 vulnerable babies and their families from across Queensland who need a medical retrieval every year.
“This Queensland innovation is leading the way in retrieval care nationally and internationally, and in future could be used for neonatal retrievals across Australia and overseas.”
Children’s Health Queensland Chief Executive Frank Tracey said the units improved the experience of care for both patients and retrieval staff.
“In emergency cases, starting life-saving care as soon as possible can be critical to achieve optimal outcomes,” Mr Tracey said.
“The new retrieval units will play a central role to help provide the best available care in a timely and safe manner for every child, every time.
HeliMods Managing Director and Founder Will Shrapnel said the valued partnership allowed them to futureproof the design, ensuring they could adapt to new medical and retrieval technologies.
“We are incredibly proud to partner with the Children’s Health Queensland Retrieval Service to deliver such an important capability for Queensland,” Mr Shrapnel said.
“Our team has worked hard on this collaboration that has developed new technologies right here in Queensland, that will set a new standard for conducting lifesaving neonatal retrievals.”
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/102278