Chichester hospital’s neonatal unit could be downgraded

Neonatal critical care is a specialised service commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement.

It provides an emergency service and ongoing support when a baby is born very prematurely, becomes sick or develops a medical problem.

St Richard’s Hospital currently has a local neonatal unit (LNU), but this could be ‘redesignated’ to a special care unit (SCU).

If the proposal goes ahead it would mean some low birthweight and sick babies would be cared for at the neonatal intensive care unit at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, which already provides a service for the very smallest and sickest babies from St Richard’s.

An NHS South East spokesperson said: “NHS England South East is reviewing the provision of neonatal care across the South East to ensure it complies with national standards set by the British Association of Perinatal Medicine to ensure access to the highest quality care for women and babies using these services.

“The demand for specialist neonatal services at St. Richard’s has changed over time and this proposal will ensure it more accurately reflect the needs of most babies that require care there while continuing to provide specialist care for the small number needing it as close by as possible.”

No other hospital services would be affected by the proposals

West Sussex’s Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee is due to discuss the proposed changes on Monday (March 7).

According to a report from NHS England, St Richard’s does not care for enough very small or very sick babies to give staff enough exposure ‘to give the very best care to these babies’.

Both the number of births and the number of very small babies born who need care at St Richard’s are trending downwards. The changes would bring the neonatal service at St Richard’s in line with national guidelines.

The report added: “The change will ensure the sustainability of the service at St Richards. In recent years changes along these lines have been successfully undertaken elsewhere in the South East region.”

SCU’s are for babies who need short-term care such as continuous monitoring of their breathing and heart rate, treatment for jaundice and for those who are convalescing from other care. Generally premature babies who are over 32 weeks gestation will be cared for in a SCU.

NHS modelling suggests very few births and neonatal admissions would be affected by the proposed changes each year.

Meanwhile all units ‘working closely as a network will offer good families good experience and continuity of care’.

A summary of the proposed changes says: “A key to success of the service is the safe return of babies home or transfer back to St Richard’s for further ongoing support or treatment as soon as possible.”