Premature and Sick Babies Remain at Risk in Wales (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
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Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

Premature and Sick Babies Remain at Risk in Wales

March 31, 2009 12:00 AM

Kirsty visits the Royal Gwent neonatal ward

Neonatal care in Wales remains in desperate need of extra Assembly Government support, or vulnerable babies will continue to be put at risk, says Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

Kirsty recently met with special baby care charity Bliss who are leading the call for increased specialist nursing provision so that the minimum standards for intensive care are met for babies, as they are for children and adults.

Kirsty Williams said "I am supporting Bliss's campaign for more specially trained neonatal nurses so that we can have the required one to one nursing. The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling upon the Assembly Government to urgently address the need for some 120 specialist nurses, cots and resources. The threat of losing the UK opt out on the European Working Time Directive will make finding the right staff harder still. Welsh NHS Trusts need the funding to train nurses to Nurse Practitioner Level without sending them to England to get the skills they need."

After accompanying Bliss staff on a visit to the neonatal ward at the Royal Gwent NHS Trust in Newport, Kirsty Williams was made aware of the tough decisions being taken so as to fit growing numbers of vulnerable babies into poorly resourced wards.

Andy Cole, Bliss Chief Executive, commented: "Amazing care is being provided to premature and sick babies and their families at Royal Gwent Hospital every day, but doctors and nurses are being increasingly stretched to the limit."