New simulation videos aim to support consistent, evidence-based preterm care

Please note: the following article contains details about preterm birth and neonatal care, which some people may find upsetting.

The Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme (MatNeoSIP) and PREM7+ programme have launched three new simulation videos to help maternity and neonatal teams address variation in Optimal Cord Management (OCM) for extreme preterm infants. Evidence shows that OCM measures can reduce mortality by a third.

Staff feedback and variation in OCM implementation highlighted a need for practical educational resources that enable teams to learn together. The videos demonstrate evidence-based approaches to care, alongside how maternity and neonatal teams can work together effectively in complex, time-critical situations.

The videos recreate challenging scenarios in a simulated environment that focus on OCM, newborn life support, normothermia, multidisciplinary teamwork, human factors and patient experience.

Rachael Garrett Programme Manager, MatNeoSIP at Health Innovation KSS said: “These resources bring together evidence-based practice, multidisciplinary teamwork and lived experience. We hope they will support teams to learn together, share good practice and consider how communication, human factors and the experiences of babies and their families all contribute to care.”

Learning from lived experience

The simulation videos form part of a wider set of educational resources, alongside lived-experience videos sharing the perspectives of people with experience of prematurity. Together, the resources are intended to support training, reflection and improvement across maternity, neonatal and perinatal care.

Sharing learning more widely

The resources have been developed collaboratively as part of PREM7+ preterm optimisation quality improvement work and the South East perinatal optimisation work delivered through MatNeoSIP.

Learning from the work is also being shared beyond the region. Abstracts have been submitted to the Congress of the European Paediatric Academic Societies (CEPAS) and Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS), with Health Innovation KSS’s Rachael Garrett named as a co-author.

Join our launch webinar and contact us

A one-hour online launch event will take place on Tuesday 17 November 2026, 11-12, introducing the new resources and the lived experiences that informed them. The launch is taking place during the same week as World Prematurity Day (15 November), demonstrating our continued commitment to improving care and outcomes for our most vulnerable babies.

Please contact Rachael Garrett for details.

About Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme (MatNeoSIP)

The Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme is led by the National Patient Safety Improvement Programme team and covers all maternity and neonatal services across England. It continues to be supported by 15 regionally-based Patient Safety Collaboratives, hosted by the Health Innovation Network.

About PREM7+

PREM7+ is the South East region’s perinatal optimisation care bundle which was launched originally as PREM7 in 2022. The care bundle was developed in 2023 with the addition of further elements; volume targeted ventilation and caffeine, to further enhance and optimise the outcomes of babies born in the SE. Based on best practice the nine interventions can have a significant and positive impact on reducing brain injury and mortality rates amongst babies born prematurely. These interventions are supported by the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM).

Find out more about our work in maternity and neonatal safety