Northern Ireland's first children's ambulance to be launched

A children's heart charity in Northern Ireland us launching its first ever ambulance for kids to make journeys more comfortable.

The Children's Heartbeat Trust will unveil the ambulance during an event an event at Titanic Quarter in Belfast on Wednesday.

In Northern Ireland, approximately 200 children are born with congenital heart disease every year, which often means frequent trips to Dublin and beyond to receive specialist medical treatment including surgery. Following a successful 'Mile A Day' fundraising campaign in 2021, in which over £133,000 was raised by the public for Children's Heartbeat Trust, the bespoke ambulance was commissioned by the charity and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Services (NIAS), with support from the Northern Ireland Specialist Transport and Retrieval (NISTAR) service. The ambulance will provide a welcoming and comforting space in which to travel at a time when anxiety is often at an all-time high. It has a number of features including space-themed décor on the interior walls, sensory equipment to calm younger children and PlayStation and Tablet facilities to help entertain young people during the journey.

It is also adapted with wheelchair tracks, enabling older children to make the journey in a wheelchair.

The launch of the new children's ambulance will have a significant impact on heart families living across Northern Ireland.

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