Williams F1 team uses pit-stop efficiency to help resuscitation of newborn babies

We’ve all heard the stories about technology in Formula One cars trickling down into our very own road cars, producing additional performance and safety on our roads. We’ve also seen companies like Williams take their F1 technology outside of F1 with hybrid systems and engine management among many others. But how useful is F1 in Hospital? Especially in the neonatal ward?

Well, this is just awesome. The Williams F1 team has taken its knowledge and efficiency which it uses race after race to produce some of the fastest pit stops in the sport – changing all four wheels in around two seconds – and applied it to a very special need.

Teaming up with the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) the team worked together to see how any F1 techniques and processes could be incorporated into the work of the neonatal resuscitation team.

Once you dig down on this, it makes perfect sense. Both situations require a team of people to work quickly in a restricted environment.

The hospital started working with the team, in particular their “human performance specialist” who has been advising the hospital, and began implementing changes to improve their resuscitation process.

Things like the resuscitation equipment trolley which has now been audited and streamlined to ensure the gear is located as quickly as possible. Plus they’ve got a standardised floor space mapped out in the delivery theatres to clearly show the area for the resuscitation team to work in.

Williams release about this project included the following quotes:

Speaking about the project Dr Rachel Hayward, specialist registrar in Neonates at the University Hospital of Wales said; “Resuscitation of a compromised neonate at delivery is time critical, requiring the provision of efficient and effective resuscitation to ensure an optimal outcome. Delays in providing effective resuscitative care can have marked consequences on survival or the development of long term complications. There is a growing amount of evidence to support a systematic approach to resuscitative care which is time-critical and dependent upon optimal team dynamics and clear communication. Analogous with the requirements of an effective pitstop we have worked with the Williams team to implement Formula One techniques and processes to augment neonatal resuscitative care”.

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal of Williams, added; “When we were approached by the Neonatal team at the University Hospital of Wales last year to offer some advice we were delighted to assist. Their work is vitally important and the pressure they work under is difficult to comprehend; it’s a matter of life and death every day of the week. If some of the advice we have passed on helps to save a young life then this would have been an extremely worthy endeavour. We are increasingly finding that Formula One know-how and technology can have benefit to other industries and this is a great example.”

I reckon that’s awesome, good on Williams, great to see the sharpest minds on the planet putting their knowledge to some fantastic use – not just on the race-track.

Trevor Long( Editor )

Trev is a Technology Commentator, Dad, Speaker and Rev Head.

He produces and hosts several popular podcasts, EFTM, Two Blokes Talking Tech, Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars, The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, and the Private Feed. He is the resident tech expert for Triple M on radio across Australia, and is the resident Tech Expert on Channel 9’s Today Show and appears regularly on 9 News, A Current Affair and Sky News Early Edition.

Father of three, he is often found in his Man Cave.

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