Vulnerable babies to benefit from more nursing care

Published: 04 November 2009

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today (4 November) welcomed the launch of the NHS Neonatal Toolkit in England. Dr Peter Carter of the RCN praised recommendations that one-to-one care is delivered. He said:

"The RCN has been campaigning for a long time to increase the numbers of neonatal nurses. With 70,000 babies born needing intensive care every year it is vital that there are the right numbers of nurses. More nurses mean that the most vulnerable babies and their families will have the one to one care and support they need during what is bound to be an extremely distressing time. We now look forward to working with NHS organisations to make sure that nurses receive adequate training in this area.

"We know that there are financial pressures in the NHS but it is concerning that no new funding has been announced to support the implementation of the toolkit. While we hope efficiencies can be made in some areas we recognise the challenges to deliver on these standards without extra funding.

"We welcome the announcement that Ann Keen MP will have oversight on this essential issue and we look forward to working with the Government to deliver better care for babies."

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Notes for Editors

1. For further information, interviews or illustrations please contact the RCN Media Office on 0207 647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/media

2. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.