It’s well known that there are serious resourcing issues with regards to standards of neonatal care in the UK. The NHS Neonatal Taskforce was set up in February 2008 prompted by a report by the National Audit Office criticising the quality of neonatal care in England[1]. The Taskforce produced a document in November 2009 called the Toolkit for High Quality Neonatal Services which identifies a chronic shortfall of 2,700 nurses and 300 supporting therapists in neonatal care[2].

These staff shortages mean that not all babies, unlike most adults, get the minimum one-to-one nursing care they should get in intensive care[3]. It also means that some babies are being transferred from unit to unit, not because of clinical need, but because there aren’t enough cots and staff to accommodate them.

But we also believe that some babies who die in the early neonatal period do so, not because they are born prematurely and neonatal services are unable to look after them, but because of the kind of care they received antenatally or during labour. 

In 2007, for instance, 10% of babies who died neonatally in the UK did so because of events during labour[4]. These are surely some of the most avoidable deaths of all and should not happen.

Sands supports the work of Bliss in highlighting issues relating to neonatal care service provision in the UK. To see their work go to www.bliss.org.uk

[1] Caring for Vulnerable Babies: The Reorganisation of neonatal services in England, December 2007; National Audit Office

[2] Toolkit for High Quality Neonatal Services, November 2009, Department of Health.

[3] Too little, too late? Baby report 2007, Bliss

[4] Perinatal Mortality 2007, Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health