CHANGES have been made to maternity care at Bradford Royal Infirmary against a backdrop of concerns from two unions.

The Royal Collage of Nursing (RCN) has questioned whether services will be harmed by hospital bosses' decision to relocate transitional care cots from the neonatal ward to maternity.

While UNISON is concerned that some staff with specialist training in transitional care - the support given to babies who have received special care before they go home - will be redeployed elsewhere in the hospital.

But those in charge of the hospital have reiterated that the changes will lead to improved care in an area it is investing £3 million in.

They say there will still be nine neonatal cots and babies will now be cared for by nurses and midwives, who are more highly qualified.

The moved happened last week, but the RCN said it remained "worried" about the transitional care service being moved from its "dedicated facilities providing high-level care for babies who require close observation, to a maternity ward at the BRI".

UNISON regional officer Gary Cleaver said healthcare assistants with special qualifications would be moved to other hospital departments.

"The concerns that we have raised are around safety and quality," he added.

However, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said that the unit has been moved as part of a wider reorganisation of women's and newborn services as it adapted to meet growing demand and position itself regionally as a "centre of excellence".

Chief operating officer Helen Barker said: "Over the last year we have invested heavily in neonatal services. Most recently, the neonatal unit received a £2m make-over and expansion and a further £1m is being invested in neonatal staffing.

"Four additional cots will be opened within the newly revamped neonatal unit which increases the capacity to receive babies from Bradford and across the region.

"The TCU (transitional care unit) model we are implementing is used in many neonatal units across the country.

"Accommodating both mother and child, it will enhance the care we provide as mums and babies will benefit from the joint care and expertise of neonatal nurses and midwives.

"Babies staying on the unit are in transition, between needing hospital care and returning home for the first time. The ultimate aim of the unit is for mother and child to go home feeling confident about their baby’s care with the appropriate professional help and support.

"Moving mum and baby into this new post-natal ward still allows us to offer families the right care in the right environment and to give them the time they need together to prepare for discharge with the appropriate professional help and support."