Strike action is taking place in September and October. We'll contact you directly if you or your child's appointment is affected.

South Thames Retrieval Service

020 7188 5000

24 hour emergency referrals

020 7803 9160

Alternative number

 

Overview

The South Thames Retrieval Service (STRS) is an intensive care service, transporting critically ill children from local hospitals to intensive care units (PICUs).

Our team is made up of doctors and nurses from our intensive care unit who are specially trained in stabilising and transferring critically ill children. The STRS team give advice to staff at district general hospitals before their arrival to transfer a child. They then provide intensive care to the child before they leave hospital and while travelling in the ambulance, helicopter or plane. They hand over patient care once the child is settled into a PICU.

Two teams are available to transport children 24 hours, 7 days a week. When they are not transporting children, the team are working within the Evelina London intensive care unit.

The leaflet Transferring your child to a paediatric intensive care unit (PDF 1.15Mb) provides more information.

Members of Evelina London's STRS team in an ambulance

South Thames Retrieval Service (STRS) for children logo

Quick links for professionals

Paediatric Emergency Tools app download for free from Apple (iOS) and Android/Google

Emergency drug dose calculator (PDF 186Kb)  - please make sure you download the PDF to your desktop. This will be removed on July 17, 2023 - please use app above.

Age based norms and infusion calculator (PDF 321Kb)

Clinical guidelines

Contacts

020 7188 5000
24 hour emergency referrals for professionals

020 7803 9160
Alternative number 

Children’s Intensive Care Unit (PICU) – general enquiries.

Tel: 020 7188 4500 / 4501

We also transport children to other intensive care units (PICUs) at hospitals in the South Thames region. Please see the intensive care unit patients page for contact details.