NGH staff recognised in regional neonatal awards

Colleagues at Northampton General Hospital have been presented with Recognising Excellence in Neonatal Services (RENS) awards from the East Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (EMNODN).

Three awards were presented at NGH celebrating individuals and teams who have shown excellent practice and worked on projects to benefit and enhance neonatal care in the East Midlands. Winners receive a certificate and badge from the East Midlands Neonatal Network at a presentation.

Our winning individuals and teams

NGH’s Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) screening team was nominated for moving to a nurse-led screening team.

ROP screening is an eye examination for premature babies to look for any signs of damage to the retina - which is more common in premature babies as the blood vessels in the retina are not fully developed. By screening for ROP babies can then receive treatment if needed to ensure their eyesight develops normally.

The team, made up of Rebecca Lambdon, Bini Mathew, Abi Stretton and Mr Patel, moved to a nurse led ROP screening team following the retirement of an NGH ophthalmologist.

The team worked together for six months to receive training to use the Optomap system which scans the eye in a non-invasive way. As part of the training the nurse team needed to learn how to hold and position the babies correctly to take the best photos. Once the images are taken, they are then sent to an ophthalmologist to be reviewed.

Rebecca said: “We are really proud to be the first nurse led ROP screening team in the EMNODN. Being able to scan using the Optomap system means it’s a less invasive procedure for our babies. As we are able to offer this service as part of the nursing team we can also ensure that screening happens on time which helps to flag any issues sooner.

“It’s really rewarding to do something different and for the nurses to be able to lead the service. There’s been a lot of tweaking to get it right, but it has been so rewarding.”

NGH nurse first to complete new training for examining newborns

Transitional Care Lead nurse, Vicki Harris, was recognised for being the first nurse in the East Midlands to complete the Newborn Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) training.

The training enables nurses to carry out screening tests to help to find out if babies have any problems with their eyes, heart, hips and, in boys, testicles.

By completing the training Vicki will now be able to conduct the screening supporting babies to be discharged from the hospital as soon as they are well enough. Vicki was also praised for her relationships built with parents and guardians to build the trust and confidence for her to complete the tests.

Management of hypoglycaemia in neonates

Dr Kainaz Singh and Dr Rizma Moosa were nominated for their work to improve the management of neonatal hypoglycaemia in the postnatal and neonatal wards.

Babies who are small or premature at birth, or whose mothers are diabetic may have low blood sugar levels in the first few hours or days after birth. Low blood sugar can put babies at risk of becoming seriously unwell.

Dr Singh and Dr Moosa worked on a project together to improve the management of hypoglycaemia in term and pre-term babies. They worked to assess the current processes and look at where improvements could be made. Following their work to include clinicians from a variety of disciplines they have made great improvements to care and supported with new documentation to help clinicians identify babies who may be at risk sooner.

Wendy Copson, Deputy Lead Nurse at the EMNODN, said: “The RENS Awards are all about recognising, celebrating, and sharing innovative care that transforms neonatal services and enhances the patient and family experience.

“We want colleagues who are successfully nominated to wear their badges with pride and share their journey of improvement to inspire others to do the same. NGH should be very proud with the innovative work that has been undertaken to develop and improve new services and processes for the smallest and most vulnerable members of the community, the staff deserve to be recognised.”

Any role can be nominated for an award and it’s open to any NHS colleagues, no matter what their involvement in neonatal care is. See https://www.emnodn.nhs.uk/recognising-excellence