Neonatal team earns outstanding rating in national audit
Posted: 25 October 2023
L to R: Charlotte Bray, (Senior Paediatric Physiotherapist) Dr Nazakat Merchant (Consultant Neonatologist) and Dr Sankara Narayanan (Consultant Neonatologist and Service Lead)
The neonatal team at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
(WHTH) has achieved an ‘outstanding’ rating in the National Neonatal Audit
Programme (NNAP) for the second consecutive year. The rating recognises the
team’s commitment to delivering exceptional care to vulnerable babies by
conducting thorough two-year follow-up assessments for high-risk infants.
This 90-minute assessment is carried out by a multidisciplinary team that
consists of a neonatal consultant and specialist paediatric physiotherapist. The
assessment serves as a formal evaluation of a child's development, enabling the
team to provide tailored advice and guidance on crucial matters such as nursery
placements and learning support needed. WHTH is performing exceptionally well in
providing developmental assessments and support for preterm infants which other
neonatal units could learn from.
At present, approximately 7-8% of babies born at WHTH arrive prematurely
(280-320 babies annually), aligning with the national statistics. Babies born
before 30 weeks and those requiring cooling treatment for brain injury (about
30-35 babies each year) are eligible for this comprehensive two-year follow-up.
The NNAP audit assesses the quality of care provided to babies admitted to
neonatal units, ensuring alignment with professional guidelines and standards.
It plays a crucial role in monitoring and enhancing the care provided to
delicate infants, particularly those born prematurely who may face unique
developmental challenges.
Recognising that babies born prematurely may not always meet key developmental
milestones, a two-year check-up offers a precious opportunity to detect any
potential concerns at an early stage.
Dr Sankara Narayanan, service lead for neonatology, said: "This recognition is a
testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire neonatal team; ensuring
that each child receives the highest standard of care during their critical
early years. Achieving an 'outstanding' rating is not only a source of pride,
but also a reaffirmation of our trust vision to provide the best possible care.
As a service that focuses on continuous improvement, we are exploring the
possibility of speech and language therapist and psychologist input as well
during these assessments."
Feedback from parents of babies born prematurely has been positive too. Chetna
Dhanji-Patel (mum) said: “As first-time parents, we are incredibly grateful for
the care provided by the neonatal team at West Herts. Our daughter was a covid
baby, and it was heartbreaking to leave her in the neonatal unit.”
“The two-year follow-up clinic assessment was a positive experience for us. It
helped us understand her progress as a preterm baby. Seeing her do the
activities made us realise how much she has progressed and come along as a
preterm baby. It also allowed us to do similar activities at home and pay more
attention to her developmental needs.”
Ends
- For media enquiries, please contact the communications team on: 01923 436280 or email: westherts.communications@nhs.net. For out of hours media enquiries please call the Watford General Hospital switchboard on 01923 244366 and ask for the on call communications manager.
- West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves people from across Hertfordshire, north London and further afield. It operates from three hospitals; Watford General, St Albans City and Hemel Hempstead. The trust has a catchment area of over 500,000 people and is one of the largest employers locally, with around 5,000 staff and volunteers.
- For more information about our hospitals, visit www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk. You can also join our followers on Twitter (twitter.com/westhertsNHS) and find us on Facebook (facebook.com/westhertsNHS).
