The flying doctors ready to help bring ill newborns back home

At just one-week-old George Sullivan took his first flight. But this was no holiday for the tiny tot and his mum Claire Humphrey.

On board the special plane there were no air stewardesses, instead George and his mum were looked after by a team of highly trained nurses assisted by technical equipment from Embrace, a Yorkshire-based NHS service for the transfer of critical care babies.

Claire, 31, from Boston Spa, gave birth to George six weeks early, 150 miles from home and three days before Christmas

The mum-to-be had just arrived at her mum’s house in Cambridge for Christmas for a well-deserved rest when her waters broke unexpectedly on December 21.

When she enquired at the nearby hospital they said that there were no beds free and she had to make an hour’s ambulance ride to a hospital in Essex to give birth.

“They told us there was ‘no room at the inn’ at the Cambridge hospital because there were no beds available. At the time I didn’t find it particularly funny,” says Claire, an English tutor.

“In the ambulance my contractions were getting stronger and stronger and I gave birth two hours after we arrived at the hospital in Essex. It all happened very quickly. We still have no idea why he decided to make an appearance so soon. I’d had a normal, healthy pregnancy.

“We hadn’t taken any baby stuff with us as we hadn’t expected him for another six weeks. I had literally gone on annual leave the day before.”

George, Claire’s first child, who was born healthy weighing 5lb 7oz, had to be kept on a special incubator for a week, but they were then told he could go home.

The problem was how to get the tiny tot back to Yorkshire as he still needed special equipment.

The ambulance journey would have taken more than five hours takin up an entire ambulance and crew for a day. Instead a helicopter provided by The Children’s Air Ambulance was used to fly staff from Embrace Yorkshire & Humber Infant & Children’s Transport Service, run by Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, to Essex to accompany baby George home.

A specialised air ambulance plane, kitted out with a special on board incubator for George, was then used on the return journey from Stansted Airport to Leeds Bradford. He was cared for by the Embrace team’s specialist nurses who made sure he had everything he needed during the flight.

Meanwhile his poor dad, opthalmologist Liam Sullivan, 31, had to battle Christmas holiday traffic, taking seven hours to get to Harrogate Hospital where George was eventually transferred to after the 45 minute flight. “I never knew such a service existed on the NHS. Some of our friends thought we had chartered the plane ourselves. Everyone is quite shocked when I tell them it’s an NHS service that’s provided this,” explains Claire.

“We were flying above the clouds and looking out of the window. It was quite distressing to see George in the travel incubator they call a pod, but after we had taken off they said that I could take him out and feed him, it was pretty amazing.

“I don’t know if every county has one but to know that if you’re in trouble and outside of you local area – to know they will be there to bring your child home – I think it’s invaluable.”

The cost of transporting a poorly child on the special plane can be as much as £7,000 although for babies living in Yorkshire and the Humber the cost is covered by the NHS.

The Embrace service is based off the M1 near Barnsley, and depending on how critically ill the baby or child is, will travel to the child either by ambulance, helicopter or plane to ensure that the baby or child gets the right treatment at the right time in the right place. The Embrace service makes more than 2,000 transfers a year from hospital to hospital and when required can fly specialist teams to the patient for immediate care.

“We’re always delighted to be able to help families like Claire and George when they are a 
long way from home,” says 
Dr Steve Hancock, consultant for Embrace.

“Our aeromedical service is an efficient alternative for transporting premature babies and critically-ill children from Yorkshire and the surrounding areas who need to be ventilated or need special care. This includes transportation over long distances both in the area and further afield.

“We’re one of just a few services like this in the country but believe this service should be expanded to give patients the best and most effective care.”

Alex Toft, director of operations for The Children’s Air Ambulance, said: “This is the first of many times that we expect to be working with Embrace in order to facilitate paediatric transfer, and once our service is fully kitted out with specialist equipment we will be able to fly children such as George, as well as teams such as Embrace, saving the NHS money and 
most importantly ensuring that babies and children get the treatment they need as quickly as possible.”

As for George, he is putting on weight and doing well. His parents are planning a family holiday this summer which could involve his second flight.

“I don’t know how he’ll take to flying economy,” jokes Claire.

Twitter@ypcscott

Air ambulance provided by NHS

Embrace is the NHS-commisioned provider of critical care inter-hospital transport for the hospitals in Yorkshire and Humber. Embrace’s specialist teams of nurses, advanced nurse practitioners and doctors transfer over 2,000 babies and children every year by road ambulances and fixed wing aircraft. They have the capacity to move patients by fixed wing aircraft both within the UK and from abroad. Patients from birth to 16 years old can be transferred as Embrace has access to equipment that will accommodate premature babies, infants, children and adolescents.

For more information visit www.sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk/embrace