Neonatal network launches new website

A new website to provide information, help and support to parents using neonatal services in the South West has been launched.

The South West Neonatal Network website has been designed to provide a comprehensive resource for parents whose new babies are being treated at any one of the region’s neonatal units. The South West Neonatal Network is an operational delivery network funded on behalf of the region by NHS England.

The site offers easy access to information about the individual facilities available at each unit and the type of care babies will receive, as well as advice and support for parents. Around 10 per cent of the 60,000 or so babies born in the South West each year may need care from one of the region’s 12 neonatal units, which specialise in looking after preterm, small and sick babies.

The length of a baby’s stay can vary from days to months depending on their needs, and babies may often need to be transferred to a unit that can provide them with the appropriate level of care, with the smallest and sickest babies going to specialist units in Bristol or Plymouth.

Rebecca Lemin, South West Neonatal Network Manager, said: “We can have up to 10,000 families using our services every year. It’s a stressful period for everyone, which is obviously much increased if your baby has to be transferred and cared for in a unit that’s far from home.

“We hope this new website will provide a place parents can go and quickly get information regardless of where they are in the South West and find out what they can expect in terms of care. We also hope that being able to access this information quickly will help reduce the stress many parents experience when their babies are transferred to another unit.

“The website will also help to showcase the work being done in neonatal research, provide a valuable resource for neonatal staff across the region, and a place for parents to engage with the development and delivery of services and give their feedback.”

The new site can be found at www.swneonatalnetwork.co.uk