Staffing and cot shortages in the hospitals of the UK are one of major problems posing risk to the lives of newborn babies.
In the UK, one in eight babies needs to be looked after in a neonatal unit at some point, and about 17,000 babies a year will require intensive care due to the social trends, such as women giving birth later in life, IVF pregnancies boosting the number multiple births and more teenage mothers.
Due to medical advancements, more premature babies survive but some of them need a special monitoring by a specialized cot. Earlier, in such cases, staff has had to call various hospitals to hunt for a cot. The process wasted a lot of time and risk was increased. Therefore, to overcome this problem the government has introduced the cot locator system, which will help doctors find the nearest hospital cot for such cases and possibly eliminate the need to shift babies from one hospital to other.
The system will ensure that most of the cases are treated within the local network. However, in case the cots are not available shifting the baby will be the only way to save him. This new system will be easy to use and very fast, which will be a great relief for the parents.
Until date, the service has been introduced in England only and if the service proves to be successful, it may be extended to all the hospitals across the country.
Via: BBC
