Labor is celebrating 50 years of Victoria’s lifesaving Paediatric Infant Perinatal Emergency Retrieval (PIPER) service.
Minister for Health Ingrid Stitt joined the PIPER team at the Royal Children’s Hospital to mark the milestone.
Since 1976, PIPER has delivered 24/7 emergency advice, referral and transport for families across the state.
It’s operated by a dedicated statewide network of doctors, nurses, paramedics, care coordinators and support staff.
The team ensures pregnant women, newborns and children with serious or life-threatening conditions get the right level of care.
For families in regional Victoria, PIPER means distance is no barrier to accessing specialist care when every minute counts.
Transfers can be by road and air to major hospitals across Victoria, including the Royal Children’s, Monash Children’s, Mercy Hospital for Women, and Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s.
Importantly, they help return families to care closer to home once they’re on the mend.
Demand for PIPER’s services has more than doubled over the past two decades, from 2,700 referrals in 2002 to more than 7,000 in 2025.
In 2025 alone, PIPER coordinated more than 5,000 transfers, including more than 80 interstate transfers.
The Carroll Labor Government has continued to back PIPER, investing $16.2 million in the Victorian Budget 2026/27.
While Labor is backing working Victorian families, Jess Wilson’s Liberal-One Nation Coalition will make life harder.
They have a $40 billion cuts plan that will put services like PIPER at risk.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ingrid Stitt
“For 50 years, PIPER has been there for Victorian families, helping babies, children and mothers get lifesaving specialist care when every minute counts.”
“Whether you live in Melbourne or regional Victoria, every family deserves access to the best possible care when they need it most.”
“Labor will always invest in the healthcare Victorian working families rely on.”
Quote attributable to Member for the Northern Metropolitan Region Sheena Watt
“For regional families, specialist care can be hundreds of kilometres away, and services like PIPER make sure critically ill babies, children and mothers can get the care they need."