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BAPM 2001 Guidelines - Standards For Hospitals Providing Neonatal Intensive and High Dependency Care

BAPMBAPMs Mission Statement

Vision
We want every pregnant woman, newly-delivered mother and baby to receive the most appropriate healthcare for their needs, where feasible in a setting of their and their partner’s choice and as close to home as possible. We want to see a more structured, collaborative approach to caring for pregnant women, newly-delivered mothers and newborn babies where hospitals, clinicians and other health professionals work closely together, formally and informally, to provide the safest and most effective service for mothers and babies.

The Aim
Our aim is to support newborn babies and their families by providing services that help all those involved in perinatal practice to improve the standards of perinatal care in the British Isles.

The Values
We believe that it is in the best interests of our members, their patients and families that we maintain high standards of integrity, service, quality and value and encourage an environment of trust. We believe that people are individuals and should be treated with dignity and respect. Our members and other health professionals, their patients and families should expect that individuality and diversity are recognised and valued.

The Objectives

  • Publishing standards and providing guidance on good management and care
  • Providing postgraduate education meetings throughout the year
  • Facilitating clinical trials and other research
  • Advising on training and education in perinatal practice
  • Providing advice to Government and other professional bodies on developing and improving perinatal care
  • Raising awareness of and proactively influencing the policy environment in which perinatal care is delivered
  • Auditing and monitoring the outcome, structure and function of perinatal care for babies and their families
  • Fostering fellowship and collaboration among those involved in the care of the pregnant woman, mother and baby

To view the BAPM 2010 Guidelines please click here.

BAPM website  


Toolkit for high quality neonatal services
imageToolkit For High Quality Neonatal Services
The Department of Health has published new guidance to help the NHS improve the care provided for premature and sick babies during their first days. Babies who are born prematurely or have a low birth weight require very specialised care in their first hours and days. A Neonatal Taskforce was established to identify ways of further improving services to offer the best neonatal care possible. Experts from baby charity Bliss and NHS staff have helped to develop the Neonatal Toolkit to share its findings and guidance with the NHS.

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Bliss 30th Birthday Baby Report: Three Decades and Counting
Bliss LogoBliss 30th Birthday Baby Report: Three Decades and Counting
Bliss 30th Birthday Baby Report: Three Decades and Counting, which looks back over 30 years of Bliss and neonatal care. Bliss was set up in 1979 in response to a national newspaper article about the lack of appropriate care for babies born too soon. The aim of the charity was, and still is, to give every baby an equal start in life and to ensure that vital equipment and specialist care are available to every baby who needs it.

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POPPY - Parents of Premature Babies Project
POPPY Report
POPPY is a three-year research project , the aim of which is to identify effective interventions for communication, information and support for parents of a premature baby. For most parents, a premature birth can be distressing and overwhelming. They see their newborn undergoing medical treatments and being cared for by others. Parents may feel unprepared, and learning to care for their baby is not always easy. Good communication with healthcare professionals, including clear information and emotional support, is crucial. However, most research focuses on the baby's care and treatment, rather than how their parents feel or copy. POPPY began in January 2006 and summary results of the research are now available in the report below. It includes a review of studies on parents' experiences and services, a neonatal unit survey and interviews with parents from a range of social groups. The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and Bliss - The Premature Baby Charity will develop support materials for parents, and good practice guidance and training programmes for healthcare workers. Please click here to view the POPPY website.

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Bliss Baby Charter
Bliss LogoBliss Baby Charter
In 2005 Bliss launched its original Baby Charter. This was the first time the rights of a premature or sick baby had been clearly set down. The charter has now been comprehensively revised and includes seven standards which aim to set out how the Baby Charter can be made a reality on a neonatal unit. The Baby Charter Standards are aimed at health professionals working in neonatal care.

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London Perinatal Annual Reports 2008

London Perinatal Networks Annual Report 2008

Neonatal care is highly technical and has developed rapidly over the last thirty years, resulting in improved outcomes for sick and very premature babies. The demand for neonatal care has seen an increase of 9% nationally over the last three years. The focus has always been on giving the best care to the sick infant but recent years have also seen the growth of interest in the long term outcome of graduates from the neonatal unit. The improvements in neonatal care have been paralleled by improvements in maternal care and the development of fetal medicine units.

Traditionally, maternity units and their co-located neonatal units worked in isolation from other maternity units. This resulted in many smaller neonatal units caring for all babies who were born in their hospital. If the neonatal unit was full a pregnant mother or her newly born premature infant would face an unplanned transfer which might be to a hospital which was a considerable distance away.

In 2001, the Department of Health commissioned an expert working group to review neonatal intensive care services. The report was published in April 2003 and it was no surprise that it recommended the establishment of managed clinical networks. As well as endorsing the report the Department of Health announced an additional £72 million to help implement the recommendations. London had already agreed to form five neonatal (later to be called perinatal) networks, mirroring the five commissioning sectors in London. These networks have improved the care pathway and made dramatic changes to the way care is organised for this vulnerable population.

In 2007 the London Perinatal Group agreed to centralise the management and coordination of strategy for the five networks and as a result of this the Central Management Team were formed to oversee the performance, commissioning and strategy for neonatal services across London. As a result of this, for the first time, the picture for neonatal services across London can be seen and presented. It is my pleasure to be involved in this and as Chair of the London Perinatal Group present the first pan London Annual report for the neonatal services.