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Home Local News Parliament Articles Speeches Richard Media South Norfolk Expenses Contact
| MP concerned over neonatal
nursing shortage |
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The report finds that, on average, neonatal units each had nearly three nursing vacancies for nurses qualified in neonatal care |
South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon has called on NHS Trusts to address neonatal nursing shortages quickly, as a new report finds that the vast majority of neonatal intensive care units do not meet professionally agreed staffing standards for intensive care.
Mr Bacon said: “Neonatal services in England are providing good care
to vulnerable newborn babies”. |
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“However, it is worrying that so many specialist units are finding themselves short-staffed and unable to meet professionally-developed standards of care. Trusts across England need to look at their staffing levels and address these shortages quickly”. Mr Bacon was speaking as the National Audit Office published its report on the reorganisation of neonatal services in England. In England there are 180 neonatal units structured into 23 regional networks. Each unit has a designation of either level 1, 2 or 3 which indicates the type and intensity of the care it provides. The report finds shortages in the numbers of neonatal nurses. On average, each unit had nearly three nursing vacancies for nurses qualified in neonatal care. Only half of units met the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) professionally developed standard for high dependency care of one nurse to two babies, and only 24 per cent met the standard for intensive care of one nurse to one baby. The vast majority of level 3 (intensive care) units, which require a 1:1 ratio of nurses to babies for the whole unit, did not meet the standards for intensive care.
19 December 2007 See also:
NAO REPORT:
The
reorganisation of neonatal services in England
PARLIAMENT:
MP debates Norfolk's health cash crisis
PARLIAMENT:
MP says NHS deficit is causing local
damage
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| © Richard Bacon 2010 | ||||||||
