FAcilitating Safe Transition to Home for Preterm Infants: an Observational Study

Finding out what the common discharge barriers are in neonatal units will help design and develop services to facilitate safe, early discharge in preterm babies. This study will have 2 components. Retrospectively the study team will study the electronic medical records of preterm infants admitted to 20 neonatal units throughout the UK to identify the PMA at which each of the barriers to discharge are reached and identify the final discharge barrier. In a smaller-scale prospective study, the study team will investigate what is the final discharge barrier for infants admitted for neonatal care in the Royal Derby Hospital. The study team will follow up with the family, 2 weeks after discharge home, to find out if the infant has remained well and not required readmission to the hospital (information which will not be available in the electronic patient records analysed retrospectively). This will help determine whether the discharge was appropriate and safe.