New guidelines for neonatal babies

New guidelines for the NHS to improve the care given to premature and sick babies has now been published.

The Department of Health with experts from baby charity Bliss and expert NHS staff  have developed the Neonatal Tool kit after identifying ways of improving neonatal care.

More than 60,000 babies a year are born prematurely or with a low birth weight requiring very specialist care.

The new tool kit will provide advice on how to improve current service by making sure the right staff are on hand at the birth, managing high-risk pregnancies and improving transfers between services.

Health Minister Ann Keen said: “As a nurse I’ve seen the excellent care the NHS provides for small and premature babies, and the doctors and nurses working in neonatal care should be proud that more babies than ever before are surviving.

“Having a sick baby is very distressing for parents at what should be one of their happiest moments.  That’s why we’re providing the NHS with practical guidance on how to make neonatal services even better and take a family-centred approach to care.  To ensure this Tool kit makes a real difference to neonatal care I have also asked to have ministerial oversight of its implementation.”