Further to the recent 30th birthday baby report by Bliss, what action will be taken to address the pressures on neonatal units that can res…

Work to develop Managed Clinical Networks (MCNs) for neonatal services is underway and funding and support are being provided to the three regional planning directors to assist this process. In addition, an expert advisory group is being set up to co-ordinate the approaches taken by the three regional MCNs.
NHSScotland has developed and tested a neonatal nursing workload and workforce tool that will identify the nursing needs of this vulnerable group of babies. The tool is now being implemented across all Scottish neonatal units and will help to develop quality measures for neonatal care and equip NHS boards with valuable information that will inform their planning and provision of services.
To further increase the nursing capacity, the Scottish Government has funded the training of 20 advance neonatal nurse practitioners to date and has recently invested £100,000 in neonatal education. A further £160,000 has been invested in training this year.