Lack of support services in neonatal care

A new report from charity Bliss has revealed a widespread lack of facilities and support for parents at neonatal units across England.

The report, ‘Families kept apart: barriers to parents’ involvement in their baby's hospital care’, states that, as a result, thousands of parents are being prevented from having close involvement in their babies’ neonatal care.

The report shows huge variation and frequent gaps in the provision of services across England, such as a lack of overnight accommodation, kitchen space, and financial support.

The charity also claims that only five out of 29 neonatal intensive care units meet national standards for the provision of overnight accommodation for parents, with 15 out of 99 neonatal units are unable to provide any, or only provide very limited, facilities or financial support for families.

This is in stark contrast to hospital children’s departments where some level of accommodation for parents is provided.

Additionally, over 40 per cent of neonatal units lack the basic kitchen facilities that allow parents to stay with their babies without having to leave the ward to eat, and more than a third of hospitals offer parents no support whatsoever with meal costs. More worryingly, parking can cost as much as £72 a day, despite repeated government guidance that free or reduced parking should be available to anyone visiting critically ill or long-stay patients.

Bliss argues that hands-on parental involvement improves bonding and long-term outcomes for both babies and families, and reduces the length of the baby’s stay in hospital.

Caroline Davey, chief executive of Bliss, said: “To give premature and sick babies the best possible chance of good long-term health, parents must be able to provide daily hands-on care. But many families simply cannot afford to do that.

“In many cases, the lack of the right facilities and financial support is keeping parents from being with their children when they need them the most. Government and the NHS must urgently address these deficits, and Bliss’ report lists concrete proposals that should be implemented immediately.”