Kettering Neonatal Unit achieves level 2 status

In September 2023, Kettering General Hospital (KGH) moved from being a level 2 local neonatal unit to a level 1. This meant it could only care for babies born after 32 weeks’ gestation rather than over 27 weeks’ gestation.

From May, the unit has been fully approved by NHS England the NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board and East Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Network to return to level 2 status caring for babies with more than 27 weeks of gestation (28 weeks if multiple birth) that weigh more than 800g.

Extremely premature babies born before this gestation, or babies of any gestation who are very unwell, have always been transferred to specialist regional level 3 NICUs and this will continue.

The precautionary change of designation from level 2 to level 1 was a joint decision the hospital made alongside NHS England (Midlands) and NHS Northamptonshire ICB in September 2023. It was taken following ongoing assessment and routine clinical quality and safety reviews, as well as feedback received from staff, which demonstrated a need for additional consultant capacity and staff training in the care of babies born between 27-32 weeks.

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire Chief Nurse Julie Hogg says: “We are delighted to announce that KGH neonatal unit has now been fully redesignated as level 2 local neonatal unit. That means, once again, we are able to deliver intensive care, high dependency care and special care, to babies born after 27 weeks of gestation or 28 weeks if a multiple birth.

“The agreed change of designation in 2023 enabled us to take some time to strengthen our medical and nursing staffing levels and deliver appropriate specialist training. It has also enabled us to strengthen our leadership, governance and monitoring arrangements to ensure we deliver care to the highest standards.

“We are committed to ensuring our neonatal unit delivers the best possible care to babies and families in our local community and ensuring that care is tailored to their needs.”

Some of the actions taken since September 2023 have included increased medical and nursing recruitment including two neonatal consultants, a data analyst, a governance lead nurse and seven nurses. There has been increased training and education for the nursing and medical teams, including multidisciplinary team simulations.

Other areas covered by the additional training have included difficult airway management, effective resuscitation, medicine administration and chest drain insertions.

There has been a strengthened neonatal leadership, including a neonatal lead consultant and neonatal matron, with leaders being more visible to the team and encouraging openness and co-operation.

There are now improved links with the East Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Networks – a regional body that ensures that all babies and their families receive high quality care that is fair and accessible for all.

The unit is compliant with British Association of Perinatal Medicine standards of achieving more than 70% of the nursing workforce qualified in their speciality.