Breastmilk Provision for Preterm and Sick Neonates - elearning for healthcare
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About the Breastmilk Provision for Preterm and Sick Neonates programme

This elearning resource has been designed to improve education and training for all relevant staff in the support of breastmilk provision for preterm and sick infants. The programme will also enable health and care professionals to improve breastmilk provision rates at discharge from neonatal units. According to the National Neonatal Audit Programme (NNAP 2020) report, at day 14, 82% of infants under 32 weeks gestation were receiving breastmilk. However, only 58.3% of eligible babies were receiving mother’s milk, exclusively or with another form of feeding, at the time of their discharge from neonatal care

The content is suitable for all professionals who support and work/contribute to improving breastmilk provision:

  • neonatal nurses, nursery nurses, nursing associates, neonatal health care support workers and paediatric staff
  • midwives, health visitors and maternity healthcare support workers
  • medical trainees
  • medical staff

This project was an updated collaboration between Health Education England, the Thames Valley and Wessex Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (ODN), SHIP LMNS, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Salisbury Hospitals Trust, Frimley Healthcare and Parents from the Thames Valley & Wessex Parent Advisory Group.

More information

This resource can be used as a preparatory learning experience, and can also be used for performance support by the healthcare professional. The content is split into four main sections:

  1. Antenatal conversations – what the healthcare professional should know to help support and guide parents with informed feeding choices prior to the delivery of their baby.
  2. After delivery – what the healthcare professional should know and help the mother to understand before she starts expressing breastmilk.
  3. Starting to express – how to support a mother practically and emotionally as she begins to express.
  4. Increasing milk supply – how to support mothers to maintain and increase their breastmilk supply.
  5. Resources – access to a set of useful job aids and reference tools.

Project team

  • Kim Edwards

    Kim Edwards

    Thames Valley and Wessex ODN (Neonatal) Nurse Education Lead and Programme Director, Wessex Neonatal Network Programme Director
  • Alison Smith

    Alison Smith

    Senior Project Manager, Health Education England, National Maternity Programme
  • Louise Garrahan

    Louise Garrahan

    Communications and Stakeholder Officer, Health Education England, elearning for healthcare
  • Tracy Watkins

    Tracy Watkins

    Lead Learning Designer, Health Education England, elearning for healthcare.
  • Clair Guy

    Clair Guy

    Programme Manager, Health Education England, elearning for healthcare
  • Rashmi Chavda

    Rashmi Chavda

    Graphic Designer, Health Education England, elearning for healthcare

How to access

In order to access the Breastmilk Provision for Preterm and Sick Neonates programme, you will need an elfh account. If you do not have one, then you can register by selecting the Register button below.

Register >

To view the Breastmilk Provision for Preterm and Sick Neonates programme, select the View button below. If you already have an account with elfh, you will also be able to login and enrol on the programme from the View button.

View >

NHS healthcare staff in England

The Breastmilk Provision for Preterm and Sick Neonates programme is also available to NHS healthcare staff via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). Accessing this elearning via ESR means that your completions will transfer with you throughout your NHS career.

Further details are available here.

Not an NHS organisation?

If you are not an NHS health or care organisation and therefore do not qualify for free access elfh Hub, you may be able to access the service by creating an OpenAthens account.

To check whether or not you qualify for free access via OpenAthens, you can view the eligibility criteria and register on the ‘OpenAthens’ portal.

Registering large numbers of users

If you are a HR, IT or Practice Manager and would like to register and enrol large numbers of staff within your organisation for access onto the Breastmilk Provision for Preterm and Sick Neonates programme, please contact elfh directly.

Organisations wishing to use their own LMS

For HR departments wanting to know more about gaining access to courses using an existing Learning Management System please contact elfh directly to express interest.

More information

Please select the following link for more information on how to use the elfh Hub.

elfh is a NHS England programme in partnership with the NHS and professional bodies