Worrying shortage of nurses needed to care for premature and sick babies and their families 
(16/11/2009)
The NHS Neonatal Taskforce has published a set of standards that will make the care of sick newborn babies an NHS priority for the next decade. Launched by health minister Prof Ann Keen MP, the document sets out new quality standards which should guide teams working across maternity and neonatal services to drive improvements for premature and sick babies. It also includes a new toolkit to help commissioners plan and deliver a world class service.
The Taskforce has also specified the amount of investment needed to make the vision of a world class service a reality. For less than £150 for every baby born, every family could have the peace of mind that, should their child need it, they would have access to the best level of critical care. Premature and sick babies are the most vulnerable members of our society. They need the highest quality of hospital care to ensure they have the best possible start in life.
Bliss welcomes this important report which sets out a roadmap for ensuring that the 70,000 premature and sick babies admitted to hospital each year in England will get the vital care and support they deserve.
However the Taskforce document highlights the serious shortages of nurses needed to care for babies and their families. There is an identified shortfall of over 2,700 nurses and 300 supporting therapists.
These standards are a welcome first step, but there is still a long way to go. Bliss is concerned that with the lack of upfront investment this could be another wasted opportunity to deliver the care that vulnerable babies desperately need.
Bliss is calling on the Secretary of State, Government and the NHS to ensure that the resources urgently needed to implement these standards are found.
Never again should babies be denied the one to one nursing care they desperately need in intensive care, which is the level the NHS already routinely provides for children and adults. A clear implementation plan with agreed timescales must be secured to address these most serious shortfalls in the service.
This is an ambitious plan that requires innovation, investment and inspired leadership. Bliss has championed the development of special care baby services for the last 30 years.
The NHS Neonatal Taskforce was set up in 2008 to assess neonatal services in England and address the concerns raised in the National Audit Office Report Caring for Vulnerable Babies (2007).
The NHS Toolkit document sets out following principles:
1. Organisation of neonatal services
2. Staffing
3. Care of the baby and the family experience
4. Transfers
5. Professional competence, education and training
6. Surgical services
7. Clinical governance
8. Data requirements
Bliss is a member of the NHS Neonatal Taskforce and has sat on each of its four working groups.
Bliss welcomes many of the Taskforce’s key recommendations and in particular that:
* A minimum standard of one to one nursing care should be provided to babies in intensive care.
* A strategy for recruiting and retaining staff must be put into action without further delay.
* Healthcare professionals are available to provide support in the community after discharge from hospital.
* A transport service which is available at all times and to all units within a network, providing safe and effective transfers for newborn babies.
* A much needed focus on the care of the whole family by doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.
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Related categories: Children health and children safety Newborns and babies
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