ECMO ambulance to boost safety
An ambulance equipped with the latest lifesaving kit is helping to improve the experiences of our most seriously unwell patients.
The shiny new vehicle is purpose built to transport patients who require extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or ‘ECMO’, a life support machine that temporarily replaces the function of the heart or lungs.
During ECMO, blood is pumped outside of the body through an artificial lung that removes carbon dioxide and sends oxygen-filled blood back into the body.
ECMO is not a treatment in itself but allows the lungs and heart to be rested to help them to heal.
The Barts Health ECMO service is one of seven national centres that support patients with severe acute lung failure.
The service also provides ECMO in cases of severe acute heart failure.
The team see patients from across north east London and are based on ward 6A at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.
They expect to bring between 50 and 60 patients a year to St Bartholomew’s using the new ambulance.
Service lead Dr Sachin Shah said the switch to a new vehicle was all about patient safety.
He said: "The new vehicle is bigger than a normal ambulance meaning there is more room for a trolley and our specialist equipment. There is also more space to train staff and a large tail lift which makes it easy to move patients in and out the ambulance."
The van, which even has its own communication system in case of emergencies, is supplied as part of our contract with the BEARS Ambulance Service.
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