Raising serious concerns
Guidance for families who have a serious concern about their baby鈥檚 care on the neonatal unit.
Sometimes you may have a serious concern about your baby鈥檚 care on the neonatal unit. You may feel like you don't trust the health professionals treating your baby, you are worried about your baby鈥檚 treatment plan, or if you have been told that a mistake has been made in the care of your baby. We hope that these situations would be very rare but if you are in this situation you may have questions like:
鈥淲hat can I do if I don't trust the team looking after my baby, or if my communication with them has broken down altogether?鈥
鈥淲ho can I speak to if I think there is a problem with my baby's care?鈥
鈥淗ow can I get a second opinion on my baby's care?鈥
鈥淗ow do I make a complaint about a member of staff on the neonatal unit?鈥
鈥淲hat can I do if I have been told a mistake has been made with my baby's care?鈥
This will be very difficult and upsetting for you. Please share your worries as soon as possible so you can get the support you need and agree a way forward. Your instincts and views as a parent are really important, and you should never be afraid of voicing serious concerns if you have them.
- Speak to a different member of staff that you do get on with and trust, and share your concerns with them.
- You could ask for a formal meeting with a member of the senior team on the unit (the ward manager, the nursing manager / matron, or the clinical lead - the doctor in charge of the unit). Explain your concerns and what you would like to happen next. You could also bring somebody else with you, such as a friend or family member, to this meeting, who can support you in asking the questions you need and listening to the answers.
- There may be people on your unit that are there to support parents and families. These might be parent volunteers, a member of the team who supports family liaison, or a psychology professional. You could also ask if your unit has a Family Integrated Care Lead, and speak to them.
- You can access a wide range of information and support from Bliss for further help, including access to their email and videocall support service.
- If you feel you are getting mixed messages on your baby鈥檚 treatment, or would like a different opinion on your baby鈥檚 treatment plan, you can ask for a multi-disciplinary team meeting, where a range of different health professionals involved in your baby鈥檚 care can come together with you to discuss treatment options. You can also ask your baby鈥檚 care team if there is anyone else they can bring in for a second opinion.
- If you are not satisfied with the response you have had, you could also raise a complaint or concern through the formal NHS process.