A package of measures aimed at boosting care for preterm babies and their families continues to deliver improvements five years after its introduction.
The Optimisation Care Bundle is a set of nine clinical interventions promoted by Health Innovation North West Coast and Health Innovation Manchester in the North West.
In the last year, 5,275 interventions were delivered in the region compared with 5,000 the year before as part of the national Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme (MatNeoSIP).
The North West health innovation networks work alongside the North West Neonatal Operational Delivery Network and maternity and neonatal units to promote the interventions.
There is strong evidence that babies who receive all nine interventions experience better outcomes. In the last 12 months in the North West:
- 88 per cent of babies were born in the right place
- 91 per cent of mothers with babies born at less than 30 weeks received magnesium sulphate
- 96 per cent of eligible babies received magnesium sulphate.
A week-long series of events begins on 10 November at Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust to celebrate best practice, highlight successes and share experiences.
Dr Alex Cleator, Consultant Neonatologist at Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Five years on, the optimisation pathway is delivering real results.
“Our collaboration with MatNeoSIP and regional teams continues to drive innovation and quality improvement. This year’s Optimisation Week builds on our achievements, with a renewed focus on the antenatal period and sustaining the progress we’ve made for families across the North West.”
Caroline Finch, Programme Manager for the Patient Safety Collaborative at Health Innovation Manchester, added: “The success of this work is down to the collaborative approach we’ve been able to develop. The teams come together regularly to exchange ideas and share best practice for the benefit of mothers and babies.
“We’re looking forward to making even more improvements in the coming months.”
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