Shropshire sees 20 per cent increase in number of neonatal nurses
There has been a 20 per cent increase in the number of neonatal nurses working across Shropshire, an MP has been told.
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In response to a question from Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard, health minister Karin Smyth said the number of neonatal nurses across the county, including Telford & Wrekin, had risen from 44 in April 2023 to 53 in April this year.
She added that NHS England was creating 550 new neonatal nursing posts nationally.
Neonatal nurses care for newborn babies who are born premature or sick, offering 24-hour care both in hospitals and in the community.
Mr Pritchard said more than 100,000 babies – about one in seven babies born in the UK – were admitted into neonatal car each year, many having been born prematurely.
"I am pleased to see more neonatal nurses providing care for premature and unwell newborns in my constituency and across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin," he said.
"It is vital that those babies receive the best round-the-clock care.
"I want to thank all the neonatal nurses, midwives, doctors and other clinicians who provide that care and support to my constituents and their new arrivals."
NHS England is establishing over 550 new neonatal nurse posts across England, including in the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System (ICS), since publishing Implementing the Recommendations of the Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review.
