NHS Hero nomination – Neonatal Community Outreach Team

NHS Hero nomination – Neonatal Community Outreach Team

Oscar-winning actress Rachel Shenton has praised the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust team that supported her when her baby was born a month early.

The Neonatal Community Outreach Team (NCOT) at Royal Stoke Hospital gave practical and emotional support so that Rachel and husband Chris could take their premature son home as quickly as possible.

“It’s like real life Call The Midwife,” said Rachel. “As well as oodles of emotional support, they offer things like jaundice beds, oxygen, weight support, blood tests – usually things that would prolong your hospital stay after giving birth.

“Thanks to NCOT these things can now all be done in the comfort of your own home. Having a baby is scary enough, even without complications, but as a first-time parent to be sent home with a baby that needs extra help would feel so daunting. We would have been lost without them.

“Orson was a month premature so he was very small and needed monitoring to make sure he gained weight as quickly as possible.

“I didn’t enjoy being in hospital, it was stressing me and Orson out, so the NCOT team swooped in. They got us discharged and proceeded to visit us twice a week at first then dropped to once a week until he was four months old.

“They’re on the end of the phone at any time of the day if I have questions and as a new mum I have plenty.

“They supported us with blood tests, feeding, sleeping and nutrition. They turn up with huge smiles and are always full of reassurance.

“You can tell how much these women love what they do and it’s been amazing to see.”

Rachel has nominated the Neonatal Community Outreach Team in the NHS Hero category of the Your Heroes Awards.

The service set up by Sarah Roberts, a senior sister at the Royal Stoke, to offer parents the chance to be discharged from hospital sooner with their newborn babies whilst still receiving care and support.