Neonatal Critical Care Review
In February 2016 Better Births set out the Five Year Forward View for NHS maternity services in England. This report highlighted several challenges facing neonatal medical and nurse staffing, nurse training, the provision of support staff and cot capacity. It recommended a dedicated review of neonatal services. In response NHS England commissioned the Neonatal Critical Care Review (NCCR).
The resulting review, published in 2019, highlighted 7 key actions for neonatal care across the UK:
Review and invest in neonatal capacity
Develop Transport Pathways
Develop the neonatal nursing workforce
Optimise medical staffing
Develop strategies for the allied health professions
Develop and invest in support for parents
Develop local implementation plans
The full report is available here: Implementing the Recommendations of the Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review
The South West Neonatal ODN and South West LMS’s are committed to work in partnership to produce a regional neonatal implementation plan that can deliver demonstrable improvements for sick and premature infants and their families across the SW of England.
Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems
NHS England launched the Three Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services in March 2023. The delivery plan highlights four keys priority themes for perinatal services over the coming three years:
Listening to and working with women and families with compassion
Growing, retaining and supporting our workforce
Developing and sustaining a culture of safety, learning, and support
Standards and structures that underpin safer, more personalised, and more equitable care
A key area within these themes is improving equity for mothers and babies and all LMNS across the SW have produced Equity and Equality Action plans aimed at tackling inequalities in perinatal care in their local areas.
Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme
The Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme (MatNeoSIP) is a comprehensive initiative led by NHS England. Its mission is to enhance the safety and outcomes of maternal and neonatal care across England. The overall objective of the Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme (MatNeoSIP) is to reduce the rate of preterm births (from 8% to 6%) and reduce the rate of stillbirths, neonatal deaths and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth by 50% by 2025. The three key priorities are as follows:
Improve Safety and Outcomes: The programme endeavours to improve the safety and outcomes of maternal and neonatal care by reducing unwarranted variation.
Quality Healthcare Experience: It strives to provide a high-quality healthcare experience for women, babies, and families across maternity and neonatal care settings.
National Ambition: MatNeoSIP aligns with the national ambition, as outlined in Better Births, to reduce the rates of maternal and neonatal deaths, stillbirths, and brain injuries by 50% by 2025.
