A SENIOR doctor has received ministerial praise after inventing a device to help give children painkilling drugs.

Dr Richard Hixson, a consultant anaesthetist at Darlington Memorial Hospital, designed the pocket-sized calculating wheel to make sure children get safe and effective pain relief.

The device helps nurses and doctors work out the correct doses of analgesic depending on the age and weight of the child.

His paediatric analgesia wheel is among three North- East health creations to win acclaim from health minister and leading surgeon Lord Darzi.

Lord Darzi has written to Dr Hixson, as well as praising staff at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University Hospital of Hartlepool, to coincide with a report – Delivering High Quality Care for All: One Year On.

Dr Hixson, consultant anaesthetist at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: “Prescribing medicines to children can be challenging and is often performed poorly with drug errors leading to adverse reactions and sometimes even death.

“After looking at existing guidelines, I decided there must be a better, more effective and safer way.”

Dr Hixson started his research in 2007 and came up with a pocket-sized device to calculate a single, safe and effective analgesic appropriate for most children.

He said: “The innovation is the approach to the calculation and presentation of the prescribing information.

“It is a double-sided device which comprises two outer sleeves and an inner rotating wheel.”

There are now 8,000 wheels in use across the country with plans to increase the number.

Dr Hixson added: “I am delighted that the paediatric analgesia wheel has been highlighted by Lord Darzi and it is a privilege to have my work in this area recognised at a national level.”

Newcastle NHS Trust was praised for controls to reduce infection as well as staff training, while Lord Darzi highlighted Hartlepool’s success in streamlining accident and emergency care.