Families are being kept apart from their sick babies...
It’s hard to imagine a critically ill baby without their parents by their side for support.
Sadly, this is too often the case. Many families with babies in neonatal care are being kept apart by a lack of accommodation on the neonatal unit. In fact, for every 10 babies that need to stay overnight in neonatal care there is only one room available for parents to stay with them.
In a Bliss survey, 75% of parents did not have access to overnight accommodation when their baby was critically ill. Nearly all of these parents said this stopped them from being involved with their baby's care.
We know that parents being actively involved in care is what's best for babies. But parents are being left with no choice but to leave their baby overnight in neonatal units across the country.
"It was like torture having to leave my baby. A mum should be there day and night. Being at home felt so unnatural and so useless. I would just sit and cry until I could get back." - Bliss supporter
What do we want to do?
Engaging healthcare professionals with this issue is a vital step in pushing for change. We’re raising £6,295 to fund a free training webinar which will equip healthcare professionals with the tools they need to best support parents who are forced to leave their babies overnight.
Unlike on paediatric units, parents of sick and premature newborns are often told to ‘go home’. All staff in neonatal care need to be aware of the importance of parents staying overnight with their baby, what it means for their role, and how they can best support all families on the unit.
What the webinar will cover:
- Bliss’ #FamiliesKeptApart research: We want units to know that they aren’t alone with a lack of overnight accommodation and that they can use our findings to advocate for improvement
- Case studies: Gain valuable insights into the challenges parents face as they share their stories and hear from a unit that is succeeding in keeping families together
- Support strategies: Learn practical tips for providing emotional support and give guidance to parents during this traumatic experience
- Q&A Session: Engage with experts in neonatal care, parents and other healthcare professionals
We have a long-standing history of providing training webinars and supporting the development of healthcare professionals. In the last year alone, 545 professionals including doctors, nurses and psychologists attended our webinars to discuss neonatal care, how they can best support families and improve outcomes for babies born premature or sick.
“It was great to hear a mix of speakers. Both staff and parents. Listening to the parents' perspectives was great to help to understand the negative and positive impact of their involvement in their baby's care and how this varies so much between units.” - Previous webinar attendee and healthcare professional
Join us in making a difference today
Give a gift: Bring us one step closer to our goal of £6,295 and provide healthcare professionals with free access to our #FamiliesKeptApart webinar.
Together, we can empower healthcare professionals to make a meaningful difference to the lives of families facing the unimaginable stress of having a sick or premature baby. Your donation, no matter how small, will go a long way in helping ensure families are able to be by their babies’ sides.
Spread the word: Share this Crowdfunder with your friends, family and colleagues who might be interested in making a difference to the lives of neonatal parents and their babies.
If we raise over our target, any additional funds will be used to support Bliss’ general charitable work, such as supporting families, campaigning for change and enabling life-changing research. If we don’t meet our target, the funds raised up to that amount will go towards the cost of the webinar and we will continue to fundraise in other ways.