University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has been recognised as one of the country’s highest-performing neonatal services.
The unit at Royal Stoke University Hospital was rated outstanding in two key areas in the 2025 National Neonatal Audit Programme. These were supporting parents soon after their baby’s admission and providing a mother’s breast milk to premature babies and those needing specialist care.
UHNM said 99.4 per cent of parents received a consultation within 24 hours of their baby’s admission, compared with a national average of 94.5 per cent. It also reported that 86.1 per cent of babies received their mother’s breast milk by day two, compared with 73.5 per cent nationally.
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Improvements across the service
Dr Lee Abbott, consultant neonatologist, said the results reflected both the support given to parents and work to give babies the best possible start through early access to breast milk.
UHNM said improvements across the service had included better use of its BadgerNet electronic patient record system, regular reviews of performance data and measures aimed at making sure parents are kept informed about their baby’s care.
Katy Edwards, NICU matron, said being recognised among the highest-performing neonatal units in the country for both measures was a significant achievement for the team.
The neonatal unit provides specialist care for premature and sick babies, while also supporting families during what can be an extremely difficult time.
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