A specialist team who work with some of Scotland’s tiniest babies, has received a national award for the quality of its care.
The multi-disciplinary team at Glasgow’s Princess Royal Maternity was praised for its work in improving the outcomes of preterm babies – some born as young as 23 weeks.
At the Scottish Government Quality Improvement Awards, the team were awarded “Excellence in Using Quality Improvement in Maternity, Neonatal and Paediatric Services” for developing a ‘Preterm bundle’, which includes a package of seven steps that improve the chances of a baby’s survival by up to a third.
Consultant neonatologist Dr Lynsey Still who led the project said: “The Princess Royal cares for some of the smallest and sickest babies in the country and we are constantly striving to ensure we deliver the highest quality of care, and improve both short and long term outcomes for our most vulnerable patients and their families.
“Working collaboratively with our obstetric colleagues, we developed a ‘Preterm Bundle’ to standardise care for preterm babies, and bring together the different elements that improve survival chances for our smallest patients.
“For example, if mum can be given steroids before she delivers, this helps to mature the baby’s lungs and improves survival by as much as a third. Likewise, by giving her magnesium the chances of the baby having Cerebral Palsy are also cut by a third.
“We also defer the clamping of the cord, keeping the baby attached to the mum for at least 60 seconds; this remarkably also increases survival by up to a third.
“These interventions aren’t always possible. Sometimes women present in advanced labour, or we need to deliver a baby in an emergency situation, but where we can they make such a difference.”
A delivery room cuddle has also been introduced as part of the bundle, so that families of preterm babies can get to hold their babies at birth, like other parents.
The success of the work was in part due to development of a vital educational poster, sharing the aims and evidence behind all the steps of the package, raising awareness for staff and patients. This poster now graces the walls of most maternity and neonatal wards in Scotland.
Jamie Redfern, Director of Women and Children’s Directorate said: “This is a great achievement for the Princess Royal Maternity team who are so dedicated to caring for their tiny patients and doing everything they can to improve their life chances. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our staff involved.”
The preterm bundle work has been shared widely, and is now being adapted for use within other maternity and neonatal units across Scotland.
The Quality Improvement Awards are designed to celebrate innovative quality improvement work that is strengthening support and services for families across Scotland, helping ensure every child has the best possible start in life and can reach their full potential as they grow up.
The awards were open to those delivering quality improvement work through the Maternity and Children’s Quality Improvement Collaborative (MCQIC), run by Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Children and Young People Improvement Collaborative (CYPIC), led by the Scottish Government.