What we do
Most hospitals in the UK do not have a specialist paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Instead, children’s intensive care services are centralised in about 30 large hospitals in major urban centres. It is rare for children to become critically ill, but when they do it is necessary to start providing intensive care in the local hospital and then move the child quickly and safely to an appropriate PICU.
This is where CATS comes in. CATS is a team of specialist doctors, nurses, ambulance technicians and administrators that take the expertise of paediatric intensive care to the child’s bedside. CATS then moves the child – by land or air – to a PICU where they can continue to receive the specialist intensive care they need.
Our History
CATS was started in 2001 as a collaboration between the paediatric intensive care units in North London and is a stand-alone service. It serves around 20 hospitals in North Thames and Hertfordshire. Together with 10 other similar services nationally, about 6000 critically ill children are transported every year, of which CATS transports about 1200.
As well as transporting critically ill children, CATS provides expert advice and educational support to the local hospitals in the region.