Two new ventilators making an impact

In 2024, New Life provided vital funding for two essential pieces of equipment at The Great Western Hospital in Swindon: a new ventilator for the neonatal unit and a Hamilton ventilator for the newly opened Children’s Emergency Unit.

The Draeger ventilator, purchased for the neonatal unit, is designed to support the smallest of babies. Sarah Carey, a Neonatal Ward Manager, shared, “The new ventilator has transformed the way we deliver non-invasive ventilation to our babies. With this addition, we now have four ventilators capable of both invasive and non-invasive therapy. Before, we were using older machines, but now we always use the newer, more efficient models to provide optimal care for premature babies weighing as little as 1.0 kg, as well as larger babies who need support. We couldn’t offer this level of care until we had the fourth ventilator, due to limited availability of equipment.”

The £34,500 ventilator was funded by New Life, with additional support from a grant awarded by The Anderson Foundation following its Christmas Luncheon in 2023.

The Hamilton ventilator, valued at £19,000, was purchased for the resuscitation room in the new Children’s Emergency Department. This ventilator is crucial for stabilising the smallest babies and young children, and can also serve as a transport ventilator for transferring critically ill patients between hospitals.

Katie Rix, Nurse Manager of the Children’s Emergency Department, expressed her gratitude: “We are incredibly thankful for the generous donation to the Children’s Emergency Unit. The new unit will bring together more elements of our children’s services. Our resuscitation room, where the ventilator is located, as well as our two high-acuity cubicles, will benefit greatly. This equipment enables us to ventilate the most critically ill infants and transfer them to other specialist hospitals when needed. It also provides high-flow nasal oxygen, doubling our capacity to deliver this within the department. On behalf of everyone in the Children’s Emergency Unit, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the charity and all those who have fundraised to make this incredible gift possible.”