The importance of good data cannot be overemphasised

The Neonatal Implementation Board is committed to delivering the recommendations of the Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review, which highlighted the importance of data and national reporting of regional outcomes¹ to improve care as one of its key actions. The ability to monitor processes, outcomes and efficiency using data is key to driving improvements in neonatal care and can help inform service delivery.

We have a responsibility to champion and advocate for the collection of reliable, good quality data, which will support audit, quality improvement, research, and commissioning. Front line busy clinical staff are often not aware of the valuable contribution they are making to neonatal care by providing complete and accurate data. In this issue of Infant in the article entitled Using data to improve UK neonatal care: past, present and future² (pages 54-59), the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) Data and Informatics Group has summarised the multiple ways data are used by different organisations and developed a resources web page including ‘frequently asked questions’.

As the National Specialty Adviser for Neonatal Critical Care, I welcome this very useful resource that helps provide clarity to a rapidly evolving area. The article also draws attention to the potential challenges posed by multiple electronic patient record systems and the importance of collaboration and standardisation to ensure the collection of population level neonatal data continues. The electronic patient record service specification currently in development will be helpful to neonatal units.

The importance of good data cannot be overemphasised. Recent reviews have rightly focused on issues in neonatal services;^3,4 the availability of good data will be key to ensuring we can read the signals so it is clear when services require additional support. Looking to the future, there is an opportunity to try to streamline and simplify access and input of data at local, regional and national level.

With the development of maternity and children and young people (CYP) digital systems, NHS England should ensure that there is a seamless data linkage from maternity to neonatal to paediatric. While the transformation review only applied to England, solutions are needed that cover the entirety of the UK; representation from the devolved nations on the BAPM stake-holder group alongside multiprofessional organisations is vital. The Neonatal Clinical Reference Group (CRG) is committed to working with BAPM and other stakeholders to deliver data-driven improvements in neonatal care.