CQC to launch review into care for newborn babies

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has announced that it will be launching a review examining the standard of care provided for newborn babies by the NHS in England.

A thematic review of about 20 services in England will be conducted to see how well staff in foetal medicine, obstetrics, neonatal and community services work together to care for newborn babies with declining health problems.

Particular focus will be placed on infants with hypertension and tracheostomies, with attention paid to variations in care management and continuity of care when passing between services.

It will also report on how well services work together to identify and follow up on any complications during pregnancy. The findings are expected to be published next spring.

Professor Edward Baker, deputy chief inspector of hospitals at the CQC, said: "While this review will not give us a national picture of the quality of care, we hope that it will lead to the development of clinical guidelines where required, so there is consistency in care across England."

This review is inspired by the case of Elizabeth Dixon, who died in 2001 as a result of failures in the tracheostomy care she received at home from a newly-qualified agency nurse.