The North West and North Wales Transport Service (NWTS) is a collaborative venture between Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and Alder Hey Children's Hospital and has been commissioned by the Specialist Commissioning Team in the North West to transfer critically ill children from District General Hospitals to one of the two Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) within the North West and North Wales area.

With one phone call to the Freephone Referral Line "08000 84 83 82" a clinician can source clinical advice on the management of a critically ill child, a PICU bed and a transport team as needed. In addition, NWTS Administrators, at the time of referral, can co-ordinate a tele-conference call with relevant specialist team(s) as required, eg Cardiology, Neurosurgery. The Service also provides clinical advice to Medical and Nursing staff on the management of critically sick children before they need Paediatric Intensive Care.

Our Freephone Referral Line provides a single point of contact for any Medic needing to either transfer a child to a PICU or needing advice on the care of a critically ill child.

One active team is available each day of the year, with a second team on duty during peak times of the year. The Team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and provides a Specialist Paediatric Intensive Care Service, including an advice and triaging facility.

NWTS will transfer infants and children below 16 years of age, including neonates, whose destination is a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

The Transport Team includes a Doctor/ANP, a retrieval Nurse/s (with relevant PICU transport experience) and a dedicated Ambulance with driver. A NWTS Consultant is available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week, and travels with the transport team when needed.

More information about our Service is available in the latest Annual Report.

(This Website is managed and edited by Chris Walker - Lead Nurse & Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Daniel McGrath - Contact Centre Manager)