A second advanced neonatal nurse practitioner is being added to the neonatal intensive care team at St Mary’s Hospital, Newport.

Isle of Wight Primary Care Trust is investing £40,000 a year in the extra post to help meet a steady rise in the number of very pre-term babies being born on the Island. Demand for neonatal care at St Mary’s between April and June this year was 20 per cent higher than the year before.

The new recruit will work alongside the existing practitioner to provide specialist nursing care and also train other neonatal staff, midwives and junior doctors in the best ways to care for very premature babies.

“Immediate, high quality care in the first hour of life is critical to achieving good outcomes for these babies,” says Gill Kennett, acting associate director of child and family services for the Primary Care Trust.

“This extra post will increase the amount of skills and knowledge available on the Island to help us meet the growing need for this specialised care.”

Recruitment for the second advanced neonatal nurse practitioner is under way. It is hoped the successful candidate can be in post by November.