"We saw at first-hand, and benefitted from, some of the ways SSNAP makes the nightmare bearable"

SSNAP was set up in 1982 by the parents of babies who had been cared for in the Special Care Nursery at the John Radcliffe Hospital. They recognised the need for more specialist resources for Neonatal care and set about raising funds.



For some babies, those who are premature and those who are born with problems, a Neonatal Unit gives them their best chance of survival. Whilst the Unit at the John Radcliffe is best known for the premature babies looked after there - sometimes smaller than 1lb 6 oz (620 gr) and younger than 25 weeks gestation - it also cares for babies born at term with a variety of problems.

Approximately 1 in 10 of all babies will need intensive or special care. The Neonatal Unit cares for up to 1000 babies each year. SSNAP provides financial help to the Unit and its staff and also supports the parents of babies in a number of ways.

Through a close working relationship with Special Care staff, SSNAP aims to

• Ensure that all sick newborn babies treated in the Nenatal Unit have the best possible chance of survival by providing much needed life-saving equipment to supplement that provided by the NHS
• Make the nightmare bearable for parents and families of babies in Special Care by providing effective emotional and practical support through a human one to one listening ear approach by committed, caring, trained volunteers with similar experiences
• Maintain the highest standards of nursing care by supporting staff in Special Care to develop their skills, keep up to date in developments and share experiences by funding study days and specialist training
• Help the Special Care Nursery maintain its position as a leading unit in the country through the above activities and by supporting the development of neonatology by funding medical research in the Special Care Nursery

We do this in the following ways:

Provide Life Saving Equipment
Modern medicine involves highly sophisticated mechanical support. SSNAP raises funds to purchase some of the complex and expensive life saving equipment needed to give every baby the chance of a happy healthy life. The cost can be very high. One baby can require equipment costing over £100,000. All the equipment we buy supplements that provided by the NHS so that every baby has the best possible chance of survival and the Nursery can continue as one of the best in the country.

Support Parents
A listening ear is offered by our trained volunteers who are available to anyone who wishes to talk to someone who understands what it is like to have a sick newborn baby. This support is offered by visiting parents when they are still in hospital, by being available to provide one-to-one support over the phone, or by direct contact.

Bereavement support is also offered to those who have sadly lost a baby. Parents can be put in touch with other parents and, if necessary, they can advise on other services that might be able to help.

Practical support with transport and accommodation is offered to those parents who may find it difficult to visit their baby.

Parents' Room and Quiet Room
SSNAP provides a welcoming place in Special Care for parents' use. Often they spend long periods in the day over the space of many months in the hospital. Having somewhere close by where they can sit and unwind, talk to other parents, make a cup of tea or coffee, watch TV, or play with their other children helps to make it more bearable.


Sponsor Research
SSNAP supports part of research projects undertaken in the Nursery. For example, into growth and development, hormone levels, brain scanning, the analysis of blood gases, cerebral blood flow, and the development of the nervous system. 

Support Nurse Training
SSNAP helps to fund nurses to attend specialist study days to enable them to keep up to date, develop their skills and exchange information and ideas. Recent study days have covered respiratory problems, ventilation, interventional cardiology, infections, understanding newborn behaviour, dealing with bereavement, a Mother Baby Nurses Conference in the USA looking at developments in transport of newborn babies, and 'Reason 2008' at the University of Warwick for more experienced neonatal nurses, looking at the latest developments and research on premature babies and their problems.

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