David M Burge1, Melanie Drewett. 1. Paediatric Surgery, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, UK. david.burge@uhs.nhs.uk
Abstract
AIM: To identify the workload related to provision of a neonatal surgical service in a UK neonatal network in order to inform local and national service commissioning. METHOD: Data relating to neonatal surgical admissions to a level 3 perinatal centre serving a network with 36,000 births per year collected prospectively over a 5-year period were analysed to identify annual activity. Daily dependency was assessed prospectively over a 6-month period and service costs calculated using existing local tariffs. Admissions from outside the network were excluded from analysis, and allowance was made for refused network admissions. RESULTS: On average 140 admissions required 2137 cot-days per year. At 80% occupancy, the service requires seven neonatal cots suggesting that there is a national requirement for one neonatal surgical cot per 5000 births. Intensive care, high care (HC) and special care accounted for 37%, 46% and 17% of cot-days, respectively. This equates to an annual service cost of £2m, about £250,000 per 5000 births. CONCLUSIONS: This assessment of the facilities and costs required to provide a neonatal surgical service in a level 3 perinatal centre in the UK may be used to inform network and national commissioning.
AIM: To identify the workload related to provision of a neonatal surgical service in a UK neonatal network in order to inform local and national service commissioning. METHOD: Data relating to neonatal surgical admissions to a level 3 perinatal centre serving a network with 36,000 births per year collected prospectively over a 5-year period were analysed to identify annual activity. Daily dependency was assessed prospectively over a 6-month period and service costs calculated using existing local tariffs. Admissions from outside the network were excluded from analysis, and allowance was made for refused network admissions. RESULTS: On average 140 admissions required 2137 cot-days per year. At 80% occupancy, the service requires seven neonatal cots suggesting that there is a national requirement for one neonatal surgical cot per 5000 births. Intensive care, high care (HC) and special care accounted for 37%, 46% and 17% of cot-days, respectively. This equates to an annual service cost of £2m, about £250,000 per 5000 births. CONCLUSIONS: This assessment of the facilities and costs required to provide a neonatal surgical service in a level 3 perinatal centre in the UK may be used to inform network and national commissioning.