I work within the NHS
Lia’s Wings is a national charity that supports the NHS by providing air transfers for babies and children who need to access vital medical care. This includes transporting children within the UK and repatriating children from overseas who are entitled to NHS treatment.
We will plan and arrange for the transfer to be carried out by road ambulance or aeromedical transfer using the most appropriate medical team and environment based on the child and family's needs. Where Lia's Wings is not the most appropriate team to carry out the transfer, we will make suitable arrangements with partner organisations.
These specialist neonatal and paediatric transfers are not funded by the NHS in England. Lia’s Wings raises donations to cover the cost, which is typically between £10,000 and £12,000 per flight.
To request an air transfer, please contact us using the details below.
General Enquiries
Phone: 0300 140 9980
Email: hello@lias-wings.org.uk
Charlotte Young, Chief Operating Officer
Phone: 0204 583 6130
Email: charlotte@lias-wings.org.uk
Next steps
Lia's Wings will take initial information from you about the child that needs transporting.
Clinical criteria
We do not have any specific clinical criteria for suitability for transfer, and we are happy to discuss referrals at any point in the patient journey. For neonatal patients, we have a full-size transport incubator, and our ventilator can provide all common invasive modes, CPAP/BiPAP and High Flow Oxygen, but we cannot oscillate. We do not have a minimum patient gestation, weight or age; rather, the decision to transfer and the right timing is based on the best interests of the patient in discussion with the sending and receiving centre.
Aeromedical transfers
Every child’s situation is different, and so is the way we support them. We can provide an air ambulance transfer, medical escort by aeroplane or road ambulance, or work with trusted rotary air ambulance charities to provide the safest and most appropriate option for each child and their family. No matter how they are transferred by Lia's Wings, it is a comprehensive bed-to-bed service.
Parents
We want to involve parents in the transfer of their baby or child as closely as possible. We are available to talk ahead of a transfer and answer any questions they may have. We will almost always have a parent accompany their child during the transfer, with very rare occasions where the need for a larger clinical team and lack of seats makes this a challenge. Parents often choose to stay in touch with Lia's Wings after the transfer and for many families we are a source of continuity and ongoing support.
Governance
Although Lia's Wings arranges the transfer and provides support to the family, the aeromedical transfer is supervised and sits within the governance of the relevant clinical team. In the North of England, this is usually Embrace (NHS team) and in the South it is usually Skycare Repatriation (a private company). All organisations involved are CQC registered and suitably accredited and insured, and all staff are specialist neonatal or paediatric nurses and doctors with appropriate transport expertise.