Neo-natal unit full to capacity

8:25am Monday 12th May 2008

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EXPECTANT mothers with pregnancies deemed to be high risk were still not being admitted to the Royal Gwent Hospital yesterday, because its special care baby unit is full.

Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales is among those taking in women who would under normal circumstances have their babies at the Royal Gwent, and the situation, which developed late last week, is not expected to ease for another couple of days.

Gwent Healthcare Trust is stressing however, that the hospital is still admitting women with low risk pregnancies.

Increases in multiple and premature births, with very premature babies requiring longer stays in specialised care, are being cited as reasons for difficulties in coping with cases on the high risk end of the pregnancy spectrum.

As well as multiple and premature births, the high risk category can include women with histories of high blood pressure and those who may have experienced difficulties during a previous pregnancy.

The Royal Gwent's neo-natal unit has become busier in recent years, having taken on higher risk pregnancies formerly dealt with at Caerphilly District Miners' Hospital.

Formerly referred to as the special care baby unit, it has capacity for 20 of the Gwent area's sickest newborns, with a range of intensive and high and low dependency cots.

Through a linked Gwent service it also takes babies from the unit at Abergavenny's Nevill Hall Hospital which provides short term stabilisation and intensive care prior to transfer.

The current situation is being reviewed by managers every four hours.

"We would like to thank neighbouring units for their excellent support over this period," said a trust spokesman.

The Royal Gwent's maternity unit is one of Wales' busiest and saw more than 3,300 births last year, an average of nine a day.

The hospital has recently opened an expanded main delivery unit costing £3.7m.