A community outreach service supporting babies and families after neonatal care at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust has celebrated its 25th anniversary with a surprise party for one of its longest-serving nurses.
Staff organised the celebration for Neonatal Community Sister Cath Ould, who has been part of the Community Neonatal Outreach Service since it launched and has helped support thousands of families across Bath and the surrounding area.
The service supports babies who have received care in the Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care and still need additional help once they return home from hospital.
The outreach team visits families at home to provide feeding support, nursing care and emotional reassurance during what can often be an anxious and overwhelming time for parents.
Cath said, “It’s a great job, so rewarding and I’m very proud of the work we do. We aim to act as a bridge between hospital and home for those babies who have had to have a bit of extra care in our neonatal unit.
“While helping babies to thrive when they have left the RUH and are back home, a key part of what we do is supporting parents, many of whom will have been through a very worrying time. Providing them with emotional support is very important.”
Cath said the service has grown significantly since it first launched as a pilot project in 2001 covering only Bath and Trowbridge.
Today, the service supports around 90 families each year across the whole RUH catchment area and provides increasingly specialist care in the home, including nasogastric tube feeding support.
Neonatal Outreach Nurse Mary Spence said, “I have learned so much from working with Cath. It is truly a privilege to be able to care for the families in their homes and see the babies grow and thrive after their time in the Neonatal Unit.”
The anniversary celebration was attended by former colleagues and parents whose children had been supported by the team, including Maria Kelleher from Midsomer Norton.
Maria said, “Words truly can’t capture how incredible the RUH’s Neonatal Outreach Service has been for us.
“From the very first moment we brought Alisha home, Mary and Cath have gone above and beyond in every way. Their passion and dedication shine through in everything they do, and it’s clear how much they genuinely care.”
Another parent, Frances Lee from Lacock, praised the reassurance the service provided after her baby returned home needing oxygen support.
She said, “Going home with our little one needing oxygen was incredibly daunting, however the outreach team are such a source of support and help.
“Always professional, kind and knowledgeable, as well as regular visits, I’ve felt able to reach out when I’ve had any worries. We feel really grateful for having that extra support after such a difficult journey.”
Last year, the outreach team also introduced at-home tube feeding support, helping more babies return home sooner while continuing to receive specialist care from their families.
