Networks

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.