Williams helping save babies’ lives with F1 pit stop proficiency

Drawing upon its proficiency in Formula One pit stops, Williams has been training doctors and nurses from the neonatal unit at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff to help in the resuscitation of newborn babies.

The neonatal team invited Williams members to UHW last year for an exploratory meeting to discuss how F1 techniques and processes could be incorporated into their work.

On Wednesday 4 May, it was their turn to visit the Williams factory in Grove to see how the team practice its pit stop choreography. The British outfit has been one of the best in that area this season so far, consistently servicing Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas’ FW38s in just over two seconds.

Resuscitation processes and pit stops require a team of people to work seamlessly in a time critical and space-limited environment. In F1, a crew comprises a team of nearly 20 people working in unison to successfully change four tyres. Williams has a dedicated human performance specialist who aims to fine tune the technique, processes, team work and health and fitness of team members.

Following these visits, the neonatal team has started to implement a number of changes to improve its processes. The resuscitation equipment trolley has now been audited and streamlined to ensure that equipment can be located as quickly as possible.

They have mapped out a standardised floor space in delivery theatres to clearly show the area for the neonatal resuscitation team to work in; copying the customised floor map the Williams team takes to races to map out the specific pit box requirements at each circuit.

The neonatal team is also starting to implement F1 communications and analysis techniques, such as the use of a “radio-check” prior to a resuscitation, greater use of hand signals rather than verbal communication, and video analysis to study performance following a resuscitation with debrief meetings as standard.

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”.

Williams deputy team principal Claire 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.”

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