In 2001, the Department of Health recommended that neonatal services be organised into managed clinical networks with different hospitals working as teams to ensure that babies are cared for in the most appropriate settings. Neonatal care is provided at different levels in different units and these units work together to ensure that all babies in the South West have access to the same high quality of care.

Neonatal care is highly technical and has developed rapidly over the past 30 years, resulting in improved outcomes for sick and very premature babies. Although demand for the service has increased over recent years, Neonatal care does remain a specialist service with approximately 1 in 10 babies needing some support from a neonatal unit.

In 2010/11 there were 9,261 admissions to the South West neonatal network units. 

Across the South West we have two neonatal networks:

The Western Network

The Peninsula Network

The networks are made up of 12 individual units providing care across intensive care, high dependency and special care units.

Both these networks provide a 24/7 (365 days a year) transfer service for their babies.

The Dorset and Wiltshire neonatal units in the South West are part of the South Central Neonatal Network.