New hospital services keep newborn babies together with mothers during specialist care

Families at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals are set to benefit from two newly launched maternity and newborn services, both aimed at improving the overall care experience and supporting family-centred care. The opening of a Transitional Care Unit at Doncaster Royal Infirmary on Thursday, September 7, marks a significant development for mothers and babies who require extra neonatal support. Situated on Level 3 of the Women and Children’s Hospital, the unit caters for up to four mothers and their babies at any given time. It is tailored for newborns needing additional monitoring, feeding assistance, or observation, but who do not require admission to the Neonatal Unit. This allows infants to stay with their mothers whenever it is clinically appropriate. Born from a Quality Improvement initiative, the Transitional Care service draws on contributions from across Maternity and Neonatal teams, as well as valuable feedback from patients and their families. The project involved comprehensive planning, including the introduction of updated clinical guidelines, care pathways, enhanced training for staff, and revised documentation and discharge procedures. A key benefit of the Transitional Care approach is that it helps strengthen the bond between mother and child, supports breastfeeding, and empowers parents as they prepare to return home with their baby. Alongside this, the Trust has established a new seven-day midwife-led Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) service, also launched on September 7. This initiative enables specially trained midwives to conduct the routine physical checks offered to all newborns, improving accessibility and the quality of experience across the Trust’s maternity services. The service supports midwives in developing wider clinical skills and enables the Trust to deliver a more sustainable and flexible service for families. The NIPE service is led by Jade Austin, NIPE Lead Midwife at DBTH, with midwives now actively providing the examinations. The Transitional Care team is composed of neonatal nurses, midwives, doctors and allied health professionals, all collaborating closely with families to deliver personalised care and support. Both initiatives are part of Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals’ ongoing commitment to improving maternity and neonatal care, ensuring families receive safe, high-quality and personalised support throughout their time at the Trust.