Research and Quality Improvement

We recognise the importance of high quality research to promote the best evidence based care for our babies. As such, we are a research active unit and participate in many international, multi-centre research trials. We are currently recruiting to two large trials:

• AZTEC TRIAL

The AZithromycin ThErapy for Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity (AZTEC) study is a national clinical trial investigating if the antibiotic azithromycin can improve the lung outcomes of premature babies who are born at less than 30 weeks of gestational age.

• FEED-1 TRIAL

A trial to determine the best way to feed babies born between 30 and 33 weeks, comparing two different methods: gradual milk feeds and full milk feeds.

If your baby is eligible for a study, you may be approached by a member of our team to discuss possible participation in a trial. Please note that this is completely optional, and there is no obligation to participate. If you do choose to participate, you will be helping hugely, and play a very important role in helping to advance neonatal care.

In addition to research, we are actively involved in Quality Improvement (QI) initiatives. This allows us to assess and improve the care we provide to our babies, promoting patient safety and always striving for ways in which we could make improvements. 

We work closely with the Scottish Patient Safety Programme Maternity and Children Quality Improvement Collaborative (MCQIC). This promotes collaborative working with our colleagues in Maternity to optimise care and outcomes for pregnant women and their babies. Through MCQIC, we have various care bundles in the neonatal unit to promote evidence based best practice.

Our preterm bundle, a package of care given to all mothers and babies delivering less than 34 weeks, has recently been awarded with a Scottish Government Quality Improvement Award for “Excellence in Using Quality Improvement in Maternity, Neonatal and Paediatric Services.”

Furthermore, in addition to these national projects, we run lots of local QI projects to continuously assess and improve the care we provide. 

We report our neonatal outcomes to the National Neonatal Audit Programme, comparing our outcomes to other units with similar patient mix. We review this report regularly to identify areas where we excel, and address any areas where we could perform better.