Mmmmm ...
Well a dedicated NETS machine for the UK .... Excellent.
I have/had been involved with HEMS on and off since 1976 and in fact did my first NETS transfer here in Melbourne Australia back then (Angel of Mercy a BH206) it was at that time a first in the world service.
I have over the years tried to follow developments in this area of HEMS with interest .... the technology of keeping these "skinned rabbits" viable has been incredible with babies as small as 500-650 gm now surviving to become 'normal' healthy human beings without the problems of those early days (ie retinal damage/blindness etc) is in my opinion to be welcomed.
Now I see from some posts above that there is a view that any aeromedically equipped helicopter should be able to carry out a NETS mission ... that may be true for an emergency pediatric trauma BUT for NETS the machine needs to be configured very differently AND needs to be made available in a different manner to the normal HEMS requirement.
The skills required for NICU/NETS are as a general rule not available at all hospitals even though they (the hospitals) may have a midwifery unit in situ.
I do not wish to go into the politics of how this is likely to happen in the UK as quite frankly I have been removed from the UK for too long to know exactly how this service will/should be implemented.
BUT the fact is NETS is different to 'regular' HEMS and does require a different set of protocols (attitudes) to be in place .....
I wish it good luck .... I have before seen the 'sling and arrows' of outrageous jealousy ruin a NETS service and leave some very vulnerable members of our community in jeopardy .... I hope this does not happen in the UK.
