Premature Babies ‘at Risk’ ; Charity Claims Lack of Nurses Threatens Lives

By SOPHIE GOODCHILD

SICK and premature babies are being put in danger because of a lack of specialist nurses, it was claimed today.

Premature baby charity Bliss warned there was a shortfall of at least 2,600 nurses and services are “at breaking point” because of a lack of funds.

It estimated it will take more than a decade for nursing numbers to reach recommended levels.

Bliss surveyed 195 neonatal units across the country, with 26 in London including the Homerton Hospital and University College London Hospital.

Jane Hawdon, clinical director of women’s services at UCLH, said pressure on services in the capital were acute because of rising birth rates and the ethnic mix of patients.

“Lives are being put at risk, especially as babies are having to be transferred,” she said.

“The outcomes are not as good for these children as those born in one hospital. Unfortunately, the large-distance transfers are still occurring because the overall capacity of individual units is not big enough. Nurses are being stretched to the limit.” The survey showed more than half of specialist babycare units are operating below acceptable staffing levels.

Cots in more than one in eight are constantly full and staff are operating round the clock to treat babies who they do not have space for officially.

Bliss found at least 10 per cent of units have closed to new admissions for periods of eight weeks or more. The staff shortages mean that babies are being subjected to potentially risky transfers across the country.

More than a third of twins and triplets needing special care are being separated soon after birth so doctors can treat them in different hospitals.

The charity said this placed extra strain on parents already struggling to cope with a sick child.

About 80,000 babies born in Britain one in eight require special care.

There are 226 special care baby units nationally and official guidelines recommend at least one special care nurse to every four babies and one to one nursing for babies in intensive care.

In London, money has been used to fund nurses in the community to help parents cope at home with a premature baby which has been treated in a special care unit. Bliss highlighted the benefits of the North Central London Perinatal Network but said the scheme should not be used as a substitute for minimum nursing levels.

It said that intensive care services for adults and children were a greater priority for the Government than for babies.

Andy Cole, the charity’s chief executive, said: “We need the same commitment to ensuring there are adequate numbers of trained neonatal nurses for those babies born sick or premature.”

FOR MORE INFO www.bliss.org.uk

(c) 2007 Evening Standard; London (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.