A Canning Town mother is campaigning against frontline cuts to nurses who look after special care babies after her son had to be transferred to a different hospital for nearly two months to receive appropriate care.

Vicky Gray gave birth to baby Kieron at 24 weeks, weighing just 740g, in Newham General Hospital but he had to be cared for in the Royal London Hospital for seven weeks before being transferred back because Newham did not have the facilities required for babies born at less than 28 weeks.

Now Vicky has chosen to use her experience to campaign against planned government reductions in neonatal funding which Bliss, a special care baby charity, found applies to one in three units in the UK, resulting in 140 frontline nursing post cuts.

Vicky said: “Once I had read the contents of the Bliss SOS report I knew I had to do all I could to make the Government aware that they are putting babies lives at risk due to cuts in neonatal services.

“The report shows increasing the number of specialist nurses on a neonatal unit reduces infant mortality by around 48%.

“I was really pleased with the actions Lyn Brown MP has agreed to take in order to help our campaign.

“I just hope that the Health Secretary will listen and take action to help these most vulnerable patients.”

Vicky met West Ham MP Lyn Brown at Bliss’ lobby event, the SOS campaign (save our special care babies, save our specialist nurses) in the Houses of Parliament on November 9.

Lyn Brown MP added: “One in nine babies in West Ham, are admitted to specialist hospital care each year. I want to make sure these babies get the very best care.

“Sadly the report by Bliss shows that our most vulnerable babies are not always getting the care they need.

“I am supporting the SOS campaign to make sure all babies born premature and sick get the care they need to give them the best possible start in life.”

To become a Bliss campaigner, email Sara Hall at sarah@bliss.org.uk or visit www.bliss.org.uk.