Summary: Dr Kathryn Browning Carmo discusses the role of the GP in managing the neonate before transfer to a tertiary centre with Dr Kathryn O'Connor. Early phone contact with the local Neonatal Emergency Transport Service provides GPs with much needed support and allows initiation of retrieval. Priorities include keeping the infant warm, assessment and management of airway, breathing and circulation, basic investigations and fluid and antibiotic therapy as necessary. It is vital to prepare the family for the arrival of the retrieval team.
