At the December 2005 Network Board meeting the Designation Implementation Planning Proposal identified the need to develop agreed network standards and a peer review model.

The aim of developing agreed network standards and a peer review model is two fold;

• to identify priorities for investment (staffing, physical space and facilities)
• to benchmark individual unit’s progress against meeting agreed standards of neonatal care commensurate with the unit designation levels

The first version of the Staffordshire, Shropshire & Black Country (SSBC) Newborn Network Standards was developed during 2006 and implemented in paper format during 2007. Each unit completed a self assessment against the SSBC Newborn Network Standards and devised an action plan to address areas where gaps existed.

It is intended that the Standards are dynamic and therefore the Standards will be evaluated following their use and revised and added to as appropriate and agreed within the network on an annual basis.

This is the second version of the Standards, revised following completion of the first standards process in the SSBC Newborn Network and developed into a web based tool for ease of completion, revision and comparison by the individual Trust’s and the Network.

The Standards

As far as possible, the Standards are drawn from published work such as the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, British Association of Perinatal Medicine Standards for Hospitals Providing Neonatal Intensive and High Dependency Care and other relevant national guidance on standards of care such as CESDI Project 27/28 and The BLISS Baby Reports. References to the relevant published standards are indicated next to each standard.

In the absence of published standards some of the recommendations in the Standards are written as a result of the consensus view of the network and constitute a reasonable level of care or clinical practice, rather than evidence based fact.

The aim of the Standards is to express an acceptable level of care which the network believes institutions providing neonatal care should aim to achieve.

It is clear that the Standards will not be currently met in their entirety by institutions providing neonatal care. The Standards are intended as a benchmark towards which services should be working and which are achievable by all hospitals in due course.

Acknowledgements