We are pleased that neonatal babies' voices will be represented in the important work of the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce through the appointment of Caroline Lee-Davey, Bliss Chief Executive, to the Taskforce's Charity and Third Sector Expert Reference Group (ERG).
This ERG will support the work of the Taskforce, which will develop a new national action plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services based on the findings of the forthcoming National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation; and will support the plan's implementation.
Caroline said: "This is a pivotal moment for neonatal and maternity services and I'm honoured to join the ERG. I will use my role to ensure that the experiences of babies who need neonatal care - and the families who love and care for them - receive the recognition and focus they deserve.
"At Bliss, we know a neonatal experience can profoundly affect a family, not just at the time but often for many years after. We see how services can work in partnership with families to provide care, helping to ensure babies have the very best short-and-long-term outcomes, and the dedication and commitment of neonatal staff. But we also see how services are stretched, meaning babies have inequitable access to important services like Allied Health Professional input or community outreach. And, shockingly, we see how a baby's chance of survival and long-term health is unacceptably impacted by their circumstances at the time of their birth, and their ethnicity.
"There is so much work to do and I'm looking forward to working with other members of the ERG and the wider Taskforce to drive much-needed change".
Read more at: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/national-maternity-and-neonatal-taskforce