Tag: neonatal care

Improving Scotland’s maternity and neonatal care

New intensive care model for the highest risk pre-term babies

Three specialist intensive care neonatal units for babies born at highest risk will be based in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Care for babies born at less than 27 weeks,  lighter than 800 grams or who need complex life support, will be provided by Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) at Aberdeen Maternity Unit, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

The new model of neonatal intensive care was recommended by The Best Start Report and is based on evidence that care for babies at highest risk is safest in units which can treat a high volume of patients.

Neonatal units in Ninewells in Dundee, Princess Royal Maternity in Glasgow, Wishaw General, Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy and Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock will continue as local neonatal units to provide neonatal care for their populations.  

Women’s Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “These three Neonatal Intensive Care Units will offer the most specialist and complex care in fewer centres for the most pre-term and sickest babies.

“Local neonatal units will continue to offer care to babies who need it, including a level of neonatal intensive care, and no neonatal units are closing as part of these plans. This decision has been made in line with advice from expert clinicians.

“I would like to thank all of those who have worked with us to look at how we can best deliver the changes recommended by the Best Start Report and will offer increased care for those who need it most, before they are able to return to one of our other excellent local neonatal units across the country.”

Lesley Jackson, Clinical Lead for the Scottish Neonatal Network and a Consultant Neonatologist in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: ““I very much welcome this change to the provision of neonatal intensive care, which will enable clinical teams to deliver the best outcomes for the smallest and sickest babies born in Scotland.

“The neonatal community is committed to working collaboratively to deliver the new model of neonatal care for our patients and families.”

Caroline Lee-Davey, Bliss Chief Executive said: ““At Bliss, we believe the proposed changes have the potential to improve the quality of neonatal services in Scotland, as well as improve the care provided to babies and their families.

“Reconfiguring services will help to make sure that the smallest and sickest babies requiring highly specialist intensive care every year will receive the best and safest care at a unit fully equipped for their needs.

“It is crucial for parents to be by their baby’s side in hospital, playing a hands-on role as partners in care with the medical team. When babies have to be transferred further from home to receive the best care, appropriate support must be provided to enable their parents to be at their cot side as much as possible, including through the Young Patients Family Fund, which enables families to claim financial assistance to support them during their baby’s neonatal stay.”

Letters: Don’t forget dads whose babies are in neonatal care

Dear Editor

Becoming a parent and welcoming a baby into the world should be one of the happiest moments in life. But for parents whose babies start life in neonatal care, those positive feelings of optimism and joy can quickly be replaced by doubt, worry and fear.  

Having a baby in neonatal care is emotionally challenging for all parents, but for parents whose babies have been born since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been even harder.

Despite moves toward easing social distancing in the rest of society, ongoing neonatal access restrictions in neonatal units across Scotland continue to have a serious impact on families. Parents have been unable to be with their baby as much as they need to be and some parents – often fathers and partners – have been unable to spend time with or be involved in their baby’s care at all.

It can be especially tough for dads who are often forced to return to work while their baby is still in a neonatal unit. That’s why Bliss has long been calling on the Government to give both dads and mums an extra paid week off work for every week their baby is in neonatal care, to ensure the best outcomes for babies, families and employers.

We know many dads find it really difficult to talk about their feelings and often experience a sense of guilt when separated from their partner and baby.

At Bliss, we’re keen to let all dads know that our services are there for them too, whether they need information or support while their baby is in neonatal care.

For more information visit bliss.org.uk/dont-forget-dads

Peter Bradley

Information and Support Manager at Bliss Scotland, Scotland’s leading charity for babies born premature or sick

Letters: Bliss Scotland raises awareness of ‘hidden neonatal journeys’

Dear Editor

When Bliss was founded in 1979 by a group of parents, our objective as a charity was set out “to support the life of babies in distress at birth”, and since our foundation we have always sought to deliver this for all babies admitted to neonatal care, whether they were born prematurely or at full term.

Over the past 41 years our reach has grown and we now work with many neonatal units in Scotland and across the UK.

Having a baby in neonatal care can be incredibly distressing for families and Bliss Scotland offers emotional and practical support to empower families and equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to provide the best possible care to their baby, for however long they live and for however long their stay in neonatal care.

One in seven babies is born needing neonatal care in the UK, equating to 100,000 babies every year, but despite a common perception that neonatal care is only for babies born premature, more than 60 per cent of babies admitted to neonatal care are born at full term (at 37 weeks or more).

Our research shows these parents often feel that their experience on the neonatal unit differs to the experiences of families with premature babies. Many feel out of place, or that they don’t ‘belong’ on the unit, as they are often the only family with a full term baby there at the time. 

Some of those babies may only spend a few days on a unit, some much longer, but they all need the same specialist care as premature babies, and their parents’ practical and emotional needs should be treated with the same care and respect.

That is why we have launched Hidden Neonatal Journeys, our new campaign to raise awareness of the challenges faced by the parents of full term but sick babies. If you have had a neonatal experience with your full term baby and been supported by Bliss Scotland, we would love to hear from you.

Sharing stories like yours helps Bliss Scotland to reach more parents in your local area, shows them that they are not alone, and also means we can continually improve the care provided to families. Only with your support can Bliss Scotland continue to work to ensure every baby gets the best start in life for generations to come.

To find out more about the campaign visit bliss.org.uk/hiddenneonataljourneys

Caroline Lee-Davey

Chief Executive of Bliss Scotland

£12 million investment package to ‘transform’ neonatal care

New mums and their babies will receive additional support through a range of measures to transform maternity and neonatal services across Scotland, backed by £12 million.

The new model for neonatal care will be tested in four sites to ensure babies needing the most specialist care get the best start possible, as well as a range of initiatives to give mums and other family members the support they need.

All expectant mums will receive care from a primary midwife, alongside a small team, for their whole maternity journey, and support will be on hand to help parents with babies in neonatal units to provide as much day-to-day care for their new-born as possible.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman visited Crosshouse Hospital in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, which will be one of four units taking part in testing the new neonatal care model. By summer, babies from Crosshouse Hospital needing the most specialist care, will be treated at the Royal Hospital for Children, before returning to their local neonatal unit.

The new model will also be tested between the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy later this year.

Ms Freeman said: “These steps to transform our maternity services will ensure mums, babies and other family members are all supported from pregnancy to birth and after.

“To achieve this, we are looking at community maternity services right through to the care for the most premature babies, where we know outcomes are improved when they are in a unit with a higher throughput of cases and where support services, such as surgery, are nearby.

“We are committed to providing all mums, babies and their families with the highest quality of care according to their needs, backed by this investment of £12 million.”

Professor Hazel Borland, NHS Ayrshire & Arran Nurse Director, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Cabinet Secretary to Ayrshire Maternity Unit to hear first-hand about the fantastic work which is happening here to implement the ‘Best Start: The 5 Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland’.

“Our Maternity and Neonatal Teams are dedicated to providing the best possible care to babies and their mums in the safest and most appropriate environment. A particular focus for us has been striving for continuity of midwife during pregnancy; and implementing transitional care. This change in working aims to keep babies who need a higher level of care and their mums together.

“We are looking forward to working with colleagues in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as Early Implementers of the neonatal model of care for the future in Scotland described in Best Start.”

The report of the review of maternity and neonatal care in Scotland, The Best Start: A Five Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care was published on 20 January 2017.

The report contains 76 recommendations which focus on putting families at the centre of care so that all women, babies and their families get the highest quality of care according to their needs.

 

 

 

 

Premature babies: £1.5 million Family Fund to help meet costs

Parents of premature babies in NHS care will now be able to get extra support with the financial cost. Through the Scottish Government’s 2018/19 draft budget the new £1.5 million Family Fund will be available from the 1st of April for parents of premature babies to help with the additional costs they face, such as for travel to and from hospital or food and drink. Continue reading Premature babies: £1.5 million Family Fund to help meet costs