Give your views on how support can be improved for parents and families of small and sick babies

This consultation is now closed

Give your views on how support can be improved for parents and families of small and sick babies

The NHS East of England Specialised Commissioning Group (SCG) needs your views on how support can be improved for parents and families with newborn babies in intensive care, as it invests £1.4 million in services.
 
The SCG buys (commissions) and monitors a range of pioneering treatments from neonatal care for premature babies to breakthrough treatments for rare cancers and cardiac conditions.
 
It has held nine public events over the last two months to inform people about improvements in care for small and sick babies, and also find out what affects parents and families the most when they have a baby in intensive care.
 
Ruth Ashmore, Perinatal Director, East of England Perinatal Network, said: "The response to these events has been encouraging, with members of the public learning more about current services and putting forward their views for the future.  We would ask anyone who attended an event to submit their feedback as soon as possible.  Also, anyone who has experience of neonatal intensive care, but was unable to attend a public event, can give their views online by August 8."
 
The public events followed a review of neonatal care in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire carried out by clinicians, a parent and commissioners from the local NHS.
 
The review recommended that the very small and sick babies, which make up only 1-3% of all babies admitted to neonatal care, should be cared for at larger intensive care units where the doctors and nurses have regular enough experience of dealing with their complex conditions. These are located at The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
 
The review will allow each unit to meet national clinical standards issued by the Department of Health and the body responsible for specialist neonatal care, via a five year investment programme.
 
It means that the majority of the 30,000 babies born in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire will continue to receive any extra support they need at their local hospital, with only about 150 babies being stabilised and transferred for the most complex care.
 
Representatives from the SCG and East of England Perinatal Networks have been speaking to people around the region through the public events.
 
Visit www.eoescg.nhs.uk/getinvolved to give your feedback.

All responses should be returned to neonatal@eoescg.nhs.uk and the deadline is August 8, 2011.