Neonatal services for the future: a manifesto

At the 2024 election, voters elected 335 new Members of Parliament (MPs) who have never been in Parliament before, that’s more than half of MPs who don’t know about the work we do campaigning for change.

Whether your MP is new, or has been around for years, we want to talk to them! But we need your help.

In the last Parliament we achieved a lot together - will you write to your MP today and help us have just as big an impact over the next 5 years?

1) Create a neonatal workforce for the future

Ensure the safety and quality of neonatal services by investing in:

• Increasing staff numbers to ensure that all babies have access to a fully trained multidisciplinary neonatal team which includes nursing and medical staff alongside Allied Health Professionals, Psychological Professionals, pharmacy and neonatal community outreach

Read more about creating a neonatal workforce for the future (PDF).

2) Address inequalities to give every baby the best chance in life

Give every baby in neonatal care equitable care:

• Appoint a National Neonatal Safety Champion with a clear remit to reduce inequalities in mortality and outcomes
• Invest in research to identify and interrogate inequity within and between units
• Commit to clear targets to reduce inequalities in the rates of neonatal death, brain injury and pre-term birth across socio-economic and ethnic groups, and between neonatal units

Read more about addressing inequalities (PDF).

3) Support parents to stay at their baby’s side

Support parents to be at their baby’s cot-side and involved in care by introducing:

• Capital investment for accommodation for parents of sick babies, in the long-term
• A smaller-scale grants fund to support neonatal units to improve facilities through furniture and equipment

Read more about supporting parents to stay at their baby's side (PDF).

4) Help families overcome financial barriers to being involved in care

To reduce inequity experienced by families by introducing:

• A neonatal expenses fund to support parents with travel, childcare and subsistence costs

Read more about helping families overcome financial barriers (PDF).

5) Provide equal employment support

Review the employment support provided to parents who won’t qualify for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay when introduced, and commit to introducing financial support to help all parents take time away from work, including those:

• Claiming maternity allowance
• Claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance or Universal Credit
• Who are self-employed or classified as workers

Read more about providing equal employment support (PDF).