Innovative neonatal palliative care project goes national

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, its charity CW+ and the True Colours Trust announce the national roll-out of their pioneering regional Lead Nurse for Neonatal Palliative Care Project after a successful five-year London pilot. The work will continue to be spearheaded by Alex Mancini, who will become the country’s first National Lead Nurse in Neonatal Palliative Care.

Neonatal palliative care emphasises the comfort of the baby and quality of life for the family, however long their time together may be. It improves the experience and outcomes for families during a time of crisis, specifically when their baby is not expected to survive, or when a baby has multiple complex health needs with an uncertain future.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lead Nurse for Neonatal Palliative Care Project has rapidly and innovatively evolved with the introduction of new technologies to enable Alex to provide virtual training and mentorship sessions to neonatal and children’s palliative care colleagues, facilitate a weekly virtual peer support group for neonatal nurses in London and adapt the multi-disciplinary training programme for digital learning. The success of the project and its digital transformation will greatly strengthen the national roll-out, enabling Alex’s work in London to be easily replicated in other neonatal operational delivery networks across the UK.