Improving the experience of staff working within paediatric intensive care transport teams

About the Project

Background

Paediatric Critical Care Transport (PCCT) teams were established following the centralisation of Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) in the UK to ensure critically ill children receive timely access to specialist care. These teams provide “intensive care on the move,” stabilising and transporting children from referring hospitals to PICUs. Each year, approximately 4,500 emergency transports are undertaken nationwide, representing around a third of all PICU admissions and reflecting the essential role of PCCT services in ensuring children receive care in the appropriate place.¹

While research has explored the experiences of PICU staff, including some PCCT personnel, highlighting high levels of work-related distress, burnout, and moral distress, there is limited evidence focusing specifically on PCCT teams.² These teams operate in unique environments compared to PICU staff, often travelling long distances in confined spaces, managing complex clinical interventions under time pressure, and working in unpredictable conditions. Such factors may amplify stress and impact wellbeing, retention, and performance.

Currently, there is little understanding of:

• Barriers and facilitators to retention within PCCT teams.
• Specific stressors that contribute to moral distress and burnout in this context.
• Effective strategies to mitigate these risks and support staff wellbeing.

Addressing these gaps is critical for sustaining a skilled workforce and ensuring safe, high-quality care for critically ill children.

Aim

To explore the experiences of paediatric intensive care transport team staff in the UK, with a focus on workforce challenges, wellbeing, and retention.

Objectives/Workstreams

1. Workforce Mapping: Quantify staffing levels, funding provision, understanding service provision (e.g., ECMO) and workload within PCCT teams across the UK to identify capacity and resource challenges.
2. Retention Analysis: Explore staff experiences and perceptions of factors influencing retention and job satisfaction.
3. Wellbeing Assessment: Investigate the prevalence and drivers of burnout and moral distress among PCCT staff, and identify potential mitigation strategies.

Methods: This study mixed-methods approach will be used including a survey exploring the staffing levels within PCCT teams and of individual level experiences (quantitative). This will be supported by semi-structured interviews with staff from diverse PCCT teams to explore lived experiences, retention challenges, and coping strategies

Proposed Impact: We will maximise translation of our findings to have profound real-world impact, by leveraging our extensive networks and contacts for diverse reach. We will engage with policymakers; the NHS; children and families and the public to ensure the outcomes of this PhD benefit future generations.

Training opportunities

The student will be based in the well-respected School of Healthcare at the University of Leicester. We have a highly collaborative working environment, with weekly seminar or journal clubs to discuss new and emerging research. The student will have access to high-quality training through the University of Leicester’s masterclass series which is designed to provide all students with strong foundations in research methods. We will also introduce to student to external organisations (e.g., Health Data Research East Midlands) to enhance their collaborations and opportunities.