ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the neonatal services are structured and coordinated in the UK by outlining the British Association of Perinatal Medicine Categories of Care and levels of service provision, describing the function of operational delivery networks, and examining the role of the neonatal nurse and the multidisciplinary team. Newborn infants are admitted to the neonatal unit for a variety of clinical conditions and treatment, including having been born too early, having a low birth weight or a medical or surgical condition that needs specialist treatment. Neonatal services depend on the availability of reliable transport facilities to bring babies and their mothers to the most appropriate care setting to meet their needs. Neonatal transport services in the UK have previously been criticised for a lack of standardisation and understanding of the effect of transport on neonatal physiology. The organisation of neonatal care in the UK is governed by nationally universal standards.
