Previously funded NOHF project: Update of the SimBaby manikin

In 2025 the Nuffield Oxford Hospitals Fund (NOHF) provided funding to enable OxSTaR (Oxford Simulation Teaching and Research) to update their SimBaby manikin. The previous model, which was purchased in 2008, was beginning to reach the end of its operational lifespan and was no longer supported for software or firmware updates from the manufacturer. This new SimBaby manikin purchased from Laerdal Medical Ltd, will provide state of the art features such as advanced airway management, an ability to integrate shockable rhythms for defibrillation training, and fully wireless operation allowing for more flexible training scenarios.  

This new manikin will enable OxSTaR to continue to run paediatric courses such as Paediatric Skills & Simulation for Returning Trainees and OPERA: Oxford Paediatric Emergencies Resuscitation & Stabilisation. These programmes are designed to develop practical skills, team-based responses, and confidence in managing paediatric emergencies, ensuring that medical students and other members of the multi-disciplinary team are well-equipped to handle real-world clinical challenges.

Medical students have consistently stressed the value of paediatric simulation training, particularly because opportunities to treat critically ill children during hospital placements are limited. Paediatrics is a senior-led specialty, meaning that many newly qualified doctors encounter their first seriously unwell child only after they begin clinical practice. The new SimBaby manikin addresses this gap by providing a safe, realistic training tool that allows students to practise and develop vital paediatric skills in a controlled environment. By supporting hands-on learning that would not be possible with real patients, the manikin is expected to strengthen paediatric training at Oxford and contribute to better patient outcomes for children in the future.