INTENSIVE care on the move will soon be available for sick newborn babies who need to be transported urgently to an alternative hospital for specialist care.

A neonatal ambulance was presented by Marie Millett, chairwoman of Bliss, the national charity for the newborn, to Doctor Jonathan Wyllie, consultant paediatrician at The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, Teesside, yesterday.

He said: "We are delighted to take possession of this totally new infant ambulance on behalf of our local babies and people. It is going to greatly improve the transport, care and safety of newborn babies, as well as reduce our present response times."

The Bliss ambulance will be used as part of the Newcastle and Middlesbrough Joint Regional Transport Service.

It will cover hospitals in the north part of the Northern and Yorkshire health region, from Northallerton to Berwick and across to Carlisle and Whitehaven.

The ambulance has been installed with all the equipment needed to care for babies in transit.

Nigel Hopper, deputy director of the Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: "This new vehicle is not only safer for the baby being transported, but it has been ergonomically designed for the crew. It also has a generator which will supply enough power to run all the equipment for even the longest journey."

The Teesside ambulance is one of two similar neonatal ambulances donated by Bliss and developed by a team of specialists.