INDEPENDENT reviewers will return to Hywel Dda University Health Board to see how the neonatal (special care baby) service has developed and to speak to staff and service users later this week.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), in collaboration with four other Royal Colleges, undertook an expert evaluation of women and children’s services in 2015, following changes made the previous year.
The review considered changes across maternity and paediatric services, as well as neonatal services, the latter of which was a specific request by the Welsh Government Health Minister.
The review found improved compliance with national and professional service standards and said there was ‘no clinical sense in reversing’ the changes. For neonatal care, it noted improvements had been made to staffing numbers as a result of the change and the development of new neonatal outreach nurse team had resulted in shorter lengths of stay for some babies.
The report also made 54 recommendations for further improvement and enhancements to services to benefit staff and patients. For neonatal services this included the need to progress the capital Phase Two project at Glangwili Hospital to improve the environment and accommodation for families.
The review team will consider again staffing, involvement of parents and families in developments of services, transfers in and out of the unit and areas of good practice or concern. They will speak to a range of staff from the University Health Board, as well as current users.
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