Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the remit is of the review of neonatal services; and whether that remit includes the tariff for (a) neonatal and (b) transitional care.

Better Births, the report of the National Maternity Review, recommended that a dedicated review of neonatal services should be taken forward, in light of its findings and their potential implications for the provision of neonatal care. Within that context, NHS England’s Women and Children’s Programme of Care and its Neonatal Critical Care Clinical Reference Group are undertaking a review of neonatal services under the auspices of the Maternity Transformation Programme. The review is focusing on a number of themes and variables including admission rates, length of stay, outcomes and pregnancy profiles.

The findings will inform the development and delivery of Local Maternity System Plans with recommendations that will include ensuring continuity of care for mothers whose babies are admitted to neonatal care.

The neonatal service review has a number of work streams including a pricing work stream. This involves the development of a pricing model to support the baby across the whole care pathway including transitional care.