NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has launched a Hospital at Home service that allows newborn babies with jaundice to receive phototherapy treatment at home instead of being readmitted to hospital. Since the service started on November 24, 40 babies have been treated using a specialized sleeping bag-style garment that emits therapeutic light.
The innovation addresses a common challenge for new families. Around six in 10 newborns develop neonatal jaundice, which traditionally requires several days of hospital-based phototherapy treatment. The new service enables clinically eligible babies to receive the same care at home, reducing disruption during a crucial bonding period.
A dedicated team of four neonatal senior nurses and four consultants operates the programme, which grew out of a successful three-month pilot conducted in 2024. The service currently has six treatment units available. A neonatal senior nurse visits families daily to monitor bilirubin levels and assess progress, with telephone support available for questions.
Mother's relief after early birth
Alicia Hardie from Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, experienced the service firsthand with her daughter Cora Donohue, who was born three weeks early on Christmas Eve. After giving birth at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and losing significant blood, Hardie needed to stay in hospital for several days.
«We were all packed up and ready to go home when Cora's blood test showed she needed light therapy for jaundice,» Hardie said. «At that point, we didn't know the Hospital at Home service existed, so we stayed in for another few days.»
The family finally got home on December 30, but Cora's jaundice levels remained high at the next blood test. «Back to hospital we went,» Hardie explained. «It was during that stay that the team told us about the Hospital at Home equipment.»
Within two hours, senior nurse Kerry delivered everything the family needed. «After an early birth and the back and forth for blood tests, it was exactly what we needed,» Hardie said. «We could finally relax at home and start our new life together.»
The equipment proved easy to use, and after just two days with the suit at home, Cora passed her blood test. «She's doing brilliantly now,» Hardie said.
How the service works
Kayleigh Cunningham, an NHSGGC neonatal Hospital at Home senior nurse, explained the service's value: «Hospital at Home helps us treat babies who may develop jaundice symptoms around 72 hours after birth, as this can happen often.»
She noted that families who have already gone home would traditionally need to return for a hospital stay. «This can be upsetting when families have just begun settling into life at home,» Cunningham said.
Treatment duration varies from two to eight days depending on individual results. Community midwives continue to screen for jaundice during routine home visits and refer eligible babies to the new service.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
