Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken to identify any additional capacity requirements for the implementation of the new model of neonatal care.
In 2017, the Scottish Government published ‘The Best Start : A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland’, and the report and recommendations were accepted by Ministers. The Best Start outlined a new model of neonatal service provision that suggests that care for the smallest and sickest babies should be consolidated to deliver the best possible outcomes.
An important part of planning for the implementation stage of the model of care is the modelling of demand and capacity requirements.
The Scottish Government contracted healthcare planning support, RSM UK Consulting LLP, to undertake detailed modelling and capacity planning work, to inform local implementation plans.
The approach to this work has included data collection and modelling alongside engagement with both operational and strategic stakeholders, to validate data, generate and test planning assumptions.
Activity and capacity data was collected from each of the eight units included within the model scope, as well as Public Health Scotland (PHS) and, Scottish Specialist Transport and Retrieval (ScotSTAR) / Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS).
The report outlines this modelling approach, inputs, and interpretation of the outputs to support the future of NICU services. This aligns with the Best Start recommendations and focuses on the three regional NICU sites chosen for adoption in Scotland. To further support local implementation plans, this report also outlines a series of considerations for implementation that can be taken forward beyond the commission.
The report will be published on 29 May 2024 and can be accessed at New Model of Neonatal Care – RSM UK Consulting - Report