Hato Hone St John, in partnership with Health New Zealand and Starship Child Health, has unveiled Aotearoa’s first custom-built paediatric transfer ambulance, marking a major step forward in the care of critically ill and injured children.
Based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, the state-of-the-art vehicle will enhance the safety, comfort, and clinical treatment for the most severely unwell tamariki, strengthening New Zealand’s ability to deliver seamless, high-acuity care between hospitals.
“We understand how unsettling it can be for a child to leave their familiar surroundings, to be transferred between hospitals and placed in environments they don’t recognise, and we’re committed to making that experience as calm as possible,” says Debra Larsen, Hato Hone St John General Manager – Health Services.
“Every aspect of the ambulance has been carefully considered with that experience in mind, creating a space that supports both high-quality clinical care and a more reassuring, safe and engaging environment for our youngest patients and their whānau.”
From a te ao Māori perspective, the fit-for-purpose ambulance recognises the vital role of whānau, enabling them to remain close and connected throughout what can often be a distressing journey. By centring both clinical excellence and whānau wellbeing, this initiative helps uphold the mana of tamariki and those who care for them.
Working closely with Health New Zealand and Starship clinicians, the project was shaped by frontline expertise from across the health system to deliver a solution that supports both children needing urgent, specialist care and paediatric intensive care retrieval teams.
Key features include increased cabin and seating space to safely accommodate specialist ICU teams, improved access to the patient throughout the journey, expanded and more accessible storage for critical clinical equipment, enhanced communication between the cab and clinical area, and a child focused, interactive interior environment.
Moving away from the traditional, plain ambulance aesthetic, the interior appearance is also unique, embracing a Kiwiana inspired flora and fauna theme that aligns with the current Starship hospital environment and showcases fun and vibrant artwork, created in-house by Hato Hone St John.
The development and build of the vehicle were made possible thanks to the generosity of the Tauranga based Wright Family Foundation, as part of their focus on children’s health.
“When we were approached about this project, it immediately resonated with us. Supporting initiatives that improve the wellbeing of children is at the heart of what we do, and knowing this ambulance will provide safer, more comforting care during some of the most challenging moments for families across Aotearoa means a great deal to us,” says Samuel Wright of the Wright Family Foundation.
“We are deeply grateful to Hato Hone St John and the generosity of the Wright Family Foundation in providing our PICU retrieval team with a purpose-built ambulance,” says Nic Gini, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit Nurse Unit Manager at Starship Child Health.
“This will allow our team to deliver specialist care from the first moment of transfer, reducing delays and improving safety. The interior of this purpose-built ambulance is truly special and thoughtfully created to feel less clinical and more comforting to help provide a less clinical and more comforting and calmer environment.”
For all media enquiries, please contact Hato Hone St John in the first instance. We respectfully ask that the Wright Family Foundation not be contacted directly.
-
Along with the emergency ambulance service, Hato Hone St John operates a significant number of community health programmes and other activities which help build community resilience. They include Waka Ora Health Shuttles, ASB Caring Caller, St John Youth, and St John in Schools.
-
Hato Hone St John also delivers event health services, medical alarm services, first aid training, and operates retail stores across the country.
About Starship Child Health:
Starship Child Health is the leading provider of paediatric health care in New Zealand and the South Pacific, delivering family centred care to infants, children, young people and their whānau in hospital and in the community.
Starship Child Health provides a wide range of complex medical, surgical, cardiac and mental health services for children and young people throughout New Zealand and the South Pacific. Starship is a major teaching centre. It aims to lead the nation in paediatric training and research. Services are provided in inpatient, outpatient, day stay and community settings.
About Wright Family Foundation:
For more than 20 years humanitarians Chloe and Wayne Wright have tirelessly dedicated their time, as well as generous financial contributions, to providing educational services that improve the lives and prospects of New Zealanders, with a particular focus on mothers and children. In the earliest years of a child’s life, relationships rather than skills are what’s most important to create confident and able adults. The Wright Family Foundation was formed in 2014 to enable ongoing support to New Zealand families for the foreseeable future.
“There are two special gifts we can give our children, one is roots, the other is wings.”
For further information please contact:
Hato Hone St John media team