Pre-hospital practitioners attend a wide case-mix of medical and trauma patients, including obstetric and perinatal emergencies. Although the proportion of obstetric and intra-partum callouts is low, it constitutes an estimated 3700 unplanned out-of-hospital births (OOHB) per year in the UK.(1) Babies born by OOHB are rarely seen in the pre-hospital phase with the expertise of a Midwife or Obstetrician and have been shown to be at significantly higher risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality.(2)
The Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme (MNSI) have identified a lack of standardised training for practitioners attending OOHB.(3) The current Newborn Life Support (NLS) course, run by Resuscitation Council UK, is well established and covers important principles of perinatal resuscitation. However, there is no consideration of the unique challenges faced by practitioners in the pre-hospital environment. Issues relating to temperature management and resource limitations are amplified in the pre-hospital phase of care, and pose significant risk to the newborn.(4)
The new OH-NLS course, designed by Resuscitation Council UK, aims to take evidence-based principles of the existing NLS course and apply them to the unique pre-hospital environment. A pilot course has received positive feedback from pre-hospital practitioners and is reported to increase the confidence in immediate management of the newborn in the pre-hospital environment.(4)
FPHC fully supports and encourages the implementation of the OH-NLS course, to support pre-hospital practitioners to effectively manage OOHB and improve pre-hospital care provided to the newborn.
Below is an extract from the Resuscitation Council UK, regarding the new OH-NLS course. For more information about the course, click the link below.
“Resuscitation Council UK launches Out-of-Hospital Newborn Life Support (OH-NLS) course"
As part of their clinical role, paramedics and midwives may be present at births outside of hospital, yet Newborn Life Support training tailored specifically to this environment has been limited. In response, Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) has developed the Out-of-Hospital Newborn Life Support (OH-NLS) course, designed to equip healthcare professionals with the skills to manage newborn stabilisation and resuscitation in non-hospital settings.
OH-NLS is aimed at out-of-hospital practitioners, including homebirth midwives, paramedics, critical care paramedic, and standalone midwifery-led unit staff, ensuring they are prepared for both planned and unplanned out-of-hospital births. The course is based on the established principles of Newborn Life Support (NLS) but is adapted to the unique challenges of out-of-hospital care, focusing on thermal control, airway management, safe newborn transport and team working.
This quality-assured course is delivered by faculty from relevant professional backgrounds and follows the same structured format as NLS, incorporating theoretical learning, practical hands-on skills, and simulation-based scenarios. OH-NLS is already making an impact, with early adopters demonstrating measurable improvements in newborn care, including changes in ambulance equipment to enhance thermal management.
OH-NLS will be rolled out across the UK over time, supporting healthcare professionals in delivering optimal newborn care wherever birth occurs.
For further information about the course and enquiries about roll-out, visit
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