St Mary's Hospital needs £2m to save more lives at under pressure paediatric intensive care unit

Artist's Impression: new-look children's care unit
St Mary's Hospital
Ross Lydall @RossLydall20 November 2015

One of only five paediatric intensive care units in London is launching a £2 million expansion appeal after having to turn away more than 230 critically ill children last year.

The eight-bed unit at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington helps 400 patients a year and is regarded as a world leader in the treatment of meningitis and septicaemia.

Since opening in 1992 with one bed, one nurse and one consultant, it has helped more than 7,000 children, including those recovering from surgery or with life-threatening conditions such as asthma and sickle cell disease.

But a report last year from the Care Quality Commission, while rating its services as “good”, said the environment was cramped and “posed a potential risk to [patient] safety and wellbeing”.

The report said there was a lack of isolation facilities and not enough space for new technology and parents.

The appeal will be formally launched next Tuesday by actress Fay Ripley, whose niece was treated at the unit.

It aims to raise at least £2 million towards the £10 million cost of rebuilding the department. Adding seven beds will allow an extra 200 patients a year to be treated.

Ripley said: “My niece is a fit, healthy, bright and beautiful teenager.

"However without the extraordinary care she received a few years ago at the children’s intensive care unit at St Mary’s Hospital her story may well have ended differently.”

Every child needs the best chance of survival

&#13; <p>Parent John Earl</p>&#13;

John Earl, from Cheshunt, said his daughter Amelia received “world-class care” when she contracted meningitis in 2009.

He said: “From the moment we arrived, it reassured us to know she was in such good hands.

“Creating a bigger and more state-of-art unit will mean more patients can receive the same level of care Amelia received. Every child needs the best chance of survival.”

We know that this intensive care unit needs additional beds. That translates into lives saved

&#13; <p>Dr Parviz Habibi, founder of the paediatric intensive care unit</p>&#13;

Dr Parviz Habibi, founder of the unit, said: “Demand outstrips supply. We know that this intensive care unit needs additional beds. That translates into lives saved. It’s as simple as that.”

Dr Simon Nadel, the department’s clinical lead, said: “We give a brilliant standard of care to the patient. But the thing that is always mentioned about the care is the environment we are in, and the lack of space.

“We have outgrown our current unit, both in terms of the equipment we need to look after the patients we get, the number of patients that are referred and the environment we are in to look after the patients effectively.

“At the moment we deliver world-class care but the environment limits what we could do.”

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