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55 Neonatal Unit NMH Annual Rep t | 2020 examining temperature regulation in preterm infants - the APOLLO study - has commenced recruitment. This year we welcomed back Dr Carmel Moore who is undertaking a HSE National Doctor's Training and Planning Unit Post / Certificate of Satisfactory Completion of Specialist Training Aspire Fellowship and has started a PhD in Neonatal Transfusion and haemovigilance with the School of Medicine in UCD. Of course, research activities in the Unit would not be possible without the participation of our patients and the consent of their parents to whom we are most grateful. Thank you. Dr Madeline Murphy left our staff to take up a Neonatal Fellowship in Toronto, Canada. We thank Madeline for her contribution to the Unit and wish her continued success in her career. Thank you also to our staff and families that donated to Unit 8 through the NMH Foundation. In 2020 we purchased much needed equipment that included: A Life Start Trolley; a C-Mac video laryngoscope; an X-Ray viewer; chairs for nursing mothers and Angel- eye cameras. This equipment will improve the care we provide to our babies and their families. Some of our donors undertook huge fundraising initiatives despite immense personal loss. We remember the 49 babies that died in our care in 2020. May they rest in peace. A separate Neonatal Report is published annually in late summer and contains further information on our Units activity including: a detailed chapter on NMH babies reported to the Vermont Oxford Database which allows us benchmark our care internationally as well as information on Admissions, Infection Control, Infant Feeding and Nutrition, Ventilation and Blood Usage, Neurodevelopmental Follow Up of Very Low Birthweight Babies, Congenital Anomalies and also a report from the Regional Neonatal Units within the Ireland East Hospital Network. Neonatal Discharge Planning Caroline McCafferty, Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) The Neonatal Discharge Planning service continues to play a vital part in the care of the high risk infant and family in the Neonatal Unit by streamlining each infant's discharge. High risk infants include all preterm infants with birth weight <1500g or <32 weeks gestational age, infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, complex social admissions, life shortening Illnesses, those requiring palliative care as well as infants with congenital abnormalities and brain Injury This has been achieved by supporting and building a rapport with the family from admission until discharge and thereafter. The service offers support to parents as well as anticipating their needs pre and post discharge home. Support was given to 252 discharges with 610 follow up calls this year; one baby discharged home tube feeding. The CNS collaborates early with the Multi-disciplinary Team and Community Support Services so that the best possible support is made available to the high risk infant and their family while an inpatient and post discharge home. Staff, student midwives and student public health nurses are continually updated and advised regarding changes to discharge policies and procedures. A Basic Life Support class and 'preparing for home' class is regularly provided for families and carers of high risk infants on 1:1 basis and also virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. The service continues to be the link with the HSE appointed Northgate Hearing Screening Service who provide a national hearing screening programme for all infants. The CNS leads in collaborating information for all babies with a confirmed diagnosis of Trisomy 21 for the National Down Syndrome Register run by the University of Dublin, Trinity College and an information pack has been developed for families of babies with Trisomy 21 for all babies born in NMH. We continue to work on Quality Improvement Initiatives in promoting Family Centred Care and early breastfeeding in the NICU sustaining on discharge home and we liaise with the NMH Foundation in projects that involve trying to improve learning throughout the pandemic for families i.e. Information screens, The NMH e-learning hub and creating an online version of the 'Babies in Neonatal Care' handbook. A parent education webinar for parents of preterm babies is in development and a Parent Questionnaire was formulated in collaboration with Quality Team. The service is represented on the hospital's Prime B – Breastfeeding and Infant Mental Health Group committees and chairs the Inter Hospital Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist Group. Thank you also to our staff and families that donated to Unit 8 through the NMH Foundation. In 2020 we purchased much needed equipment...