Neonatal and newborn emergency ambulance
Transport incubator, neonatal ventilation and a newborn-trained crew, with the NICU bed confirmed before we move.
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While the ambulance is on its way
- 1
Call now. Say the baby's age and weight.
Age in days or hours, weight if you know it, and whether the baby was premature. That decides the equipment and the crew we send.
- 2
Keep the baby warm.
Skin-to-skin against the mother's chest, covered, with the head covered too. A newborn loses heat dangerously fast. Do not bathe the baby.
- 3
Nothing by mouth if breathing is difficult.
If the baby is struggling to breathe, grunting or refusing to feed, do not attempt to feed. Follow the dispatcher until the crew arrives.
Call immediately if you see any of these
- —Fast, grunting or laboured breathing
- —Blue or dusky lips, tongue or skin
- —Not feeding, or feeding much less than usual
- —Unusually cold or hot to touch
- —Floppy, lethargic or difficult to wake
- —Persistent vomiting, or a swollen abdomen
- —Fits or unusual jerky movements
- —Yellow colour appearing in the first 24 hours
Do not drive the patient yourself if an ambulance is on the way. A moving ambulance can begin treatment; a private car cannot.
What arrives when you call
Transport incubator
Temperature and humidity controlled, pre-warmed before the baby is moved into it, and secured for transport — a newborn cannot regulate its own temperature.
Neonatal ventilation and CPAP
Ventilation and CPAP support sized for a newborn, with an oxygen blender rather than adult flow, because too much oxygen harms a premature baby as surely as too little.
Neonatal monitoring and infusion
Pulse oximetry, temperature and cardiac monitoring calibrated for newborns, with syringe pumps for precise infusions.
A newborn-trained crew
Neonatal-trained nurses or paramedics, with a neonatologist on board where the case requires one. A newborn is not a small adult and an adult ICU vehicle is not a substitute.
From your door to the hospital bed
Assigned in 60 seconds
The nearest incubator-equipped vehicle is assigned on live travel time, and the incubator is warming while it is on its way to you.
NICU bed confirmed before departure
We confirm the receiving unit has a cot at the right level of care before the baby is moved. Arriving without one is the worst outcome of a neonatal transfer.
Receiving unit pre-alerted
Gestation, weight, current support and vitals are passed to the NICU team en route, so the cot is set up before the baby arrives.
Cot-to-cot handover
The baby moves from incubator to NICU cot with the clinical team present, and the handover is documented and given to the parents.
A parent travels wherever possible
Space allowing, a parent travels with the baby. Where the vehicle configuration makes that impossible, we say so before you get to the door, not at it.
Neonatal Ambulance
Questions people ask on the call
Does every neonatal ambulance carry an incubator?
Ours does when the case calls for one — that is what makes it a neonatal ambulance rather than an ordinary vehicle with a small patient in it. Tell the dispatcher the baby's age and weight and the right vehicle is assigned.
Can the mother travel with the baby?
Wherever the vehicle configuration allows, yes. With a full incubator and neonatal team on board, space is sometimes limited, and we tell you before the ambulance arrives rather than at the door.
Do you confirm a NICU bed before moving the baby?
Yes. The receiving unit must confirm a cot at the right level of care before departure. Moving a sick newborn to a hospital that cannot admit them is a risk we do not take.
Can you transfer a premature baby over a long distance?
Yes, by road, train or air depending on the distance and the baby's condition, with the incubator, oxygen and power planned for the full journey plus a delay margin, and the neonatal team travelling throughout.
What does a neonatal transfer cost?
The published rate for the vehicle class and distance, quoted as a total before dispatch. No night rate, no emergency premium, and an itemised receipt for insurance at the end.