Dear Mrs Bellis

Thank you for contacting me about premature babies.

I fully appreciate your concerns over this issue. Last December, the
National Audit Office said that care for premature babies was being
compromised by a shortage of nurses and overcrowded special units. It
said there were “significant shortages” of trained nurses - an average
of three whole-time nurses for each unit - and baby units are often
operating above capacity.

The Report also found that Units had to close their doors to new
admissions an average of once a week during 2006-07, mainly because of a
lack of nurses or cots. Only at the lowest level of care needed (special
care) was the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) guideline
ratio of one nurse to every four babies being met. Only half of units
had the right staff-to-baby ratio for high-dependency care (one nurse to
two babies) and less than a quarter had the correct ratios for intensive
care (one nurse to one baby). Furthermore, a third of units were
operating above the 70 per cent capacity recommended as a guideline by
the BAPM, and three units were operating above 100 per cent capacity,
meaning that there were more babies in cots than trained staff to care
for them.

With 70,000 premature births each year, this is clearly a very worrying
picture and Conservatives are looking at ways we can change this should
we form the next Government. David Cameron has asked the Shadow Health
Secretary, Andrew Lansley, to look at ways to improve post-natal care in
Britain, such as extending midwifery support, with a special focus on
mothers following premature delivery or babies requiring considerable
medical support. It is clear that the Government’s rhetoric on neonatal
and maternity services is not being matched by reality and I can assure
you that the Shadow Health Team will continue to press the Government
over this important issue.

Thank you once again for taking the time to write to me.

Yours sincerely

Alan Duncan MP

It’s time the government injected hard cash into the research of premature births, instead of leaving it down to charities, if we can stop just one premature baby and its parents from feeling not only utter despair and emptiness,if we can make one family leave the hospital with their baby thanks to research into why these births occur and to whom, then its a job well done.

Mr brown, Mr Cameron as parents you need to join as politicians, you need to invest in our tiny babies survival

We took jayne home the day before her due date. The weeks in between are almost impossible to describe - the fear, the tears, the agony, the hope.

While the care, support and skill of the staff at the neonatal unit at RVI Newcastle and wansbeck Ashingtonhas been truly humbling - we have no idea why jayne came so early. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. That’s why I support Stand Up for Tiny Lives.

jayne is 3 this year and she is doing good thanks