We do our best to offer one parent (or carer) the option to travel in the ambulance with their baby for outpatient appointments, repatriations back to hospitals closer to home, and some urgent transfers (but this depends on how unwell your baby is). The final decision about you travelling with us is at the discretion of our team.

Due to seating and space restrictions in our ambulances we’re only able to take one person, and only one small piece of luggage. This is to make sure everyone stays safe. Everyone, including you and our team, needs to remain seated and keep their seatbelts on while the ambulance is moving.

Unfortunately, sometimes it’s not possible for you to come with us in the ambulance. This could be because you haven’t been discharged from the hospital yet, or because your baby is so unwell that it requires intensive care during the journey. It might even be because we’ve had to bring additional members of our team with us to ensure we can provide the best possible care, so there wouldn’t be any space for you in the ambulance.

In these cases we will make sure that we update you on everything before we leave, and take your contact details so that we can ring you when we arrive at the receiving hospital and update you on the journey.

If you are not travelling with us because you are not well enough and are still an inpatient, the unit looking after you will make arrangements for you to be transferred to the same hospital as your baby as soon as they can. While you’re waiting for this you’ll be kept fully up-to-date with your baby’s progress at the new unit.

In these cases we will make sure that we update you on everything before we leave, and take your contact details so that we can ring you when we arrive at the receiving hospital and update you on the journey.

If you are not travelling with us, please do not attempt to follow the ambulance. We understand that this is a stressful time and you may be worried about your baby, but attempting to follow our ambulances can put you at risk.

Our Emergency Ambulance Crews are highly trained advanced drivers who are able to use blue lights and sirens to make progress through traffic if we need to. If you attempt to keep up with our ambulances we may be forced to stop making progress in order to keep you, us, and other road users safe.

Our priority is the safe transfer of your baby. When we arrive at the unit to collect your baby we always get a full handover from the team and complete a comprehensive assessment. At this point we’ll decide if your baby is fit to travel.

Very occasionally we will decide that it is not safe or appropriate to transport your baby at this time. Should this happen we will make sure you are provided with a detailed explanation and get the chance to ask any questions you may have. We’ll also make a plan with the unit for potentially transferring your baby at a later date.