Britain’s special care baby units remain "overstretched and understaffed", campaigners said yesterday.
Britain faces a shortage of some 1,700 neonatal nurses to provide care to babies who need admission to neonatal services, according to the charity Bliss. This is more than ten times the 160 extra nurses recruited to units from 2006 to 2007.
The study found that one third of units reached their full capacity at least once during a six months period in 2007.
And 20 per cent of units were closed to admissions for at least seven weeks – while seven units were closed to admissions for as long as seven months.
Bliss said long-distance transfers were "all too common".
The findings come from a Freedom of Information request sent to neonatal units and a survey of some 500 patients.
Chief executive Andy Cole said: "Staffing shortages are all too apparent on units and the care of our most vulnerable babies is being compromised. No other critical care service would permit the capacity and staffing levels seen on special care baby units. While some extremely welcome progress has been made in the past year, there is still much more to do."
The findings were backed by professional organisations.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said: "It is unacceptable that the themes of high occupancy rates; patient transfers and temporary unit closures due to capacity or staffing issues; and the pressing need for increased levels of neonatal staff recur year on year."
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said: "A clear, long-term and properly funded UK-wide strategy to recruit and retain more of these specialist nurses must become a high priority.
"Without such a strategy, babies and their parents will continue to miss-out on the high-quality intensive care and vital information these nurses are able to provide."
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