Newborn Emergency Transport Service

The service's clinical coordination centre takes calls from physicians in any of over 240 hospitals and a number of private surgical facilities.

Clinical advice is provided and critical care transport teams are launched, as required, by road or air.

Medical retrieval teams and a fleet of purpose-built ambulances are housed within the Base to provide rapid response to clinical emergencies.

In addition, satellite services operate in the ACT and the Hunter Region of NSW for the transport of newborn infants by road.

NETS teams are based in a number of locations in Italy, including Genoa, Rome and plus a further 41 on call services.

NETS (Victoria) was established in 1976 after government reports showed an alarming number of deaths occurring during or after 'mercy dash' transfers of newborn infants by ambulance.

In 2011, governance of NETS was transferred to the Royal Children's Hospital where it was amalgamated with the perinatal and paediatric emergency retrieval programs to form PIPER.

NETS use road ambulances specially fitted out for the task of loading and moving the heavy equipment needed for mobile intensive care.

Fixed wing aircraft operated by the RFDS transport NETS teams and equipment over longer distances.