There are significant challenges associated with the care of the unwell newborn outside the hospital setting. The environment is often suboptimal journey times considerable suitable equipment may be restricted and those charged with the management of these infants may have very limited experience of this type of case. A review by McLelland et al (2013) demonstrated the international nature of the challenges facing paramedics when caring for the newborn noting that all cases reported included either maternal or neonatal complications or both. Eaton and Renshaw (2012) describe these cases as ‘one of the most challenging situations that pre-hospital practitioners encounter’. A localised review at a major UK hospital suggested that unwell newborn babies often reach hospital in suboptimal condition. This presentation reports on the first phase of a project designed to improve the confidence and competence of paramedics managing these infrequently encountered cases.
