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04-11-2009 Back to news index
Toolkit for high quality neonatal services
New guidance to help the NHS improve the care provided for premature and sick babies
The Department of Health has published new guidance to help the NHS improve the care provided for premature and sick babies during their first days.
Babies who are born prematurely or have a low birth weight require very specialised care in their first hours and days. A Neonatal Taskforce was established to identify ways of further improving services to offer the best neonatal care possible. Experts from baby charity Bliss and NHS staff have helped to develop the Neonatal Toolkit to share its findings and guidance with the NHS.
While England remains one of the safest places in the world to give birth, the Taskforce has recommended that neonatal care become more family-centred to ensure the psychological as well as physical needs of babies and families are considered. The Toolkit created for the NHS provides practical advice on how to improve on the areas that really matter to parents including:
- making sure the right staff are on hand at the birth
- managing high-risk pregnancies to make sure babies are born in the best place
- improving transfers between services where necessary
The Toolkit includes a set of eight principles for quality neonatal services and a framework to assist commissioners. The principles aim to establish the following standards in neonatal care:
- Organisation of neonatal services
- Staffing of neonatal services
- Care of the baby and family experience
- Transfers
- Professional competence, education and training
- Surgical services
- Clinical governance
- Data requirements
You can download the toolkit using the links below.
- Neonatal services toolkit (PDF, 1.9MB)
- Impact assessment (PDF, 6.3MB)