NIAS Maternity & Paediatric Bag Now Available Following Successful Trials

The journey of the NIAS Maternity & Paediatric Bag from concept to full deployment…

When it comes to paediatric emergency care, having the right equipment at hand can make all the difference. That’s why CorrMed, in collaboration with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), has officially launched the new NIAS Maternity & Paediatric Bag - designed through real-world testing to enhance response efficiency and patient care.

The development of this bag began when Katie Houghton, Managing Director of CorrMed, met paramedic and researcher Julia Wolfe at IPS in 2022. At the time, Julia was working with Paramedic, Orla Morrow, who was undertaking her master’s dissertation, investigating whether a better-designed paediatric bag could improve paramedic efficiency and service delivery. To support this study, CorrMed initially provided two prototype bags for field trials. However, the results were overwhelmingly positive! Following the extensive user feedback, successful trials and comparison with other ambulance services throughout the U.K the decision was made to incorporate maternity equipment within the bags also and NIAS has now placed an order for 300 bags, rolling them out across the entire service.

The new NIAS Maternity & Paediatric Bag was developed to solve key challenges in maternity, neonatal and paediatric emergency response, featuring:

• Intuitive layout – all airway, breathing, and circulation equipment is clearly arranged from left to right for easy access.

• Size-ordered and colour-coded – essential when treating paediatric patients with non-standardised equipment sizes.

• Wipe-clean, infection control design – including straps, ensuring maximum infection control in critical situations.

CorrMed’s Research & Development Team used a  hands-on approach ensured that real-world needs were at the forefront of the final design.

“Great layout—everything is exactly where you need it.”

“The colour makes it easy to identify and ensures it’s never forgotten on scene.”

 By integrating direct user feedback, CorrMed refined the bag to create a purpose-built solution that is now being deployed across NIAS emergency teams.

A New Standard for Paediatric Emergency Response

The launch of the NIAS Maternity & Paediatric Bag marks a major milestone in enhancing maternity, neonatal and paediatric emergency care across Northern Ireland. This collaborative, research-driven approach demonstrates how innovation and user-driven design can transform frontline healthcare.

To learn more about how CorrMed partners with emergency services to develop custom medical bags, contact us today.

For a deeper look into the development and initial piloting of the NIAS Maternity & Paediatric Bag, read our previous blog here.