Life changing care improvements for the most vulnerable babies
This World Prematurity Day (17 November 2025) we are shining a light on PERIPrem, an innovative perinatal initiative born in the South West and transforming the futures of premature babies across England and Wales.
PERIPrem (Perinatal Excellence to Reduce Injury in Premature Birth) is a unique care bundle of 11 evidence-based interventions that are proven to have a significant impact on babies born preterm – the single biggest cause of infant mortality and newborn brain injury in England.
Spread in the South West
Launched by Health Innovation South West and Health Innovation West of England in 2020 in partnership with South West Neonatal Network, PERIPrem has since been successfully adopted by 12 NHS trusts across South West England, where it continues to demonstrate a reduction in preterm mortality and brain injury.
In 2024/25 alone, over 300 families in the South West benefitted from receiving elements of the PERIPrem care bundle*. Also during this year, neonatal units across the South West achieved, on average, the lowest mortality rate for babies born at less than 32 weeks’ gestation, and the highest rates of eligible mothers receiving antenatal magnesium sulphate – proven to prevent cerebral palsy in babies – and the highest rate of delayed cord clamping in England and Wales for the fourth year in a row*.
Our independent evaluation of PERIPrem, published in the British Medical Journal Open Quality in 2022, indicated 26% more mothers and babies born prematurely across the South West of England received the care interventions they were eligible for between 2020 and 2021, compared to before PERIPrem started.
According to Dr Richard Tozer, Consultant Paediatrician at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, “PERIPrem, as a QI project, has had the greatest impact in 10 years at Torbay and South Devon.”
National reach
Since its successful implementation and evaluation in the South West, there has been national interest in PERIPrem.
PERIPrem Cymru launched in Wales in 2023, and Health Innovation West of England is currently supporting the spread and adoption of PERIPrem to the Midlands via Health Innovation East Midlands and Health Innovation West Midlands.
PERIPrem has also been recognised in several national reports, including the House of Lords – Preterm birth: reducing risks and improving lives – Preterm Birth Committee.
This 2025/26 Health Innovation South West is continuing to engage and work with our pre-term birth leads across the region on maintaining and improving bundle elements to brighten the futures of babies born preterm.
*As measured by the National Neonatal Audit Programme’s (NNAP) latest report, published in October 2024.
