Our Parent Group brings together parents and carers who have experienced neonatal care at one or more of the 12 neonatal units across the South West of England.
We share our experiences, ideas and views to help make neonatal care better for babies and families.
We're a friendly, welcoming group and are always happy to hear from parents who might like to get involved.
What do we do?
Your experiences and views can help make a real difference to neonatal care.
As a member of the group, you might:
Share your experiences and ideas about neonatal care.
Help with projects to improve care for babies and families.
Join meetings with neonatal staff to share a parent's perspective.
Give feedback on information and resources for families.
You don't need any special skills or knowledge. Your experience as a neonatal parent is what matters.
“Georgina runs the group sensitively, in a non burdensome way, allowing parents to input to their own capacity. Every voice is heard, and ideas are explored, expanded, discussed and directions made. Parents have a real opportunity to make a positive change to the present neonatal services across the Southwest. Both my husband and myself started out on this group and have been pleased to have been involved in a number of projects now. We hope to continue with many more. ”
What’s involved?
We meet online once a month, with meetings organised and supported by the South West Neonatal Network team. There are also opportunities to join other meetings and projects with neonatal staff throughout the year.
We have an optional WhatsApp group where members can keep in touch, share ideas and hear about opportunities to get involved.
We know family life can be busy. Being part of the group is completely voluntary, and you can contribute as much or as little as works for you. There's no pressure to take part in everything.
Who can join?
We welcome parents and carers who have had a baby cared for in a neonatal unit in the South West.
Because talking about neonatal experiences can sometimes bring back difficult memories, we recommend waiting at least 12 months after your baby has left neonatal care before joining.
Interested in joining us?
We'd love to hear from you!
If you'd like to find out more, ask a question or join the group, you can contact Georgina on georgina.french2@NHS.net / 07721432390
You can also fill in our short contact form below and we'll get back to you.
There's no obligation to join if you'd just like to find out more.
“Hello, I’m Georgina the Engagement Lead for the SW Neonatal Network. My role is to ensure the parent and family voice is at the heart of all of our work.
If your baby received neonatal care in a Southwest unit and you would like to use your experience to help support service improvements, get in touch to and we can have a chat about how you can get involved. ”
