Scotland’s forward-thinkers are ‘breathing new life into neonatal advancements with the potential for significant global impact,’ insists one of the country’s leading healthcare innovation bodies

InnoScot Health believes that an exciting groundswell of cutting-edge ideas is fast being turned into reality for improved newborn outcomes and more efficient use of NHS resources.

This week, the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), hosted at NHS Golden Jubilee in Clydebank, was named a finalist in the Acute Sector Innovation of the Year category at the 2026 Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards for its programme designed specifically to prevent newborn hearing loss.

Head of Innovation Commercialisation at InnoScot Health, Gillian Henderson says many other great examples of neonatal innovation continue to be realised across the country — and the benefits could be felt worldwide.

These include point-of-care genetic testing; a concentrated network of specialist Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs); neonatal jaundice diagnosis through rapid at-home testing alongside wearable light-emitting blankets; and modified scrubs which allow immediate skin-to-skin contact for newborns, keeping them warm while regulating heart rate and breathing.

Gillian said: “It is undoubtedly an exciting time for Scottish advancement with the potential for significant global impact.

“Thanks to the CfSD programme’s focus on hearing loss prevention, NHS Scotland has become a pioneer in nationwide genetic testing for newborns with suspected infections. It is rolling out a 26-minute cheek swab test in neonatal units to prevent permanent hearing loss in newborns carrying a specific gene variant before they receive the antibiotic Gentamicin.

“The introduction of this test reduces hospital stays, eases pressure on services, and avoids the long-term costs associated with hearing loss.”

Over the next five years, it is estimated that NHS Scotland savings from this first nationally co-ordinated pathway could be more than £199,000, in turn delivering more than £14.5 million in wider societal benefits.

Two years ago, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde launched a successful three-month pilot service to allow newborn babies with jaundice to be treated at home with a portable light therapy suit.

Led by the neonatal unit in Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children, the service — now fully up and running — treats newborn babies with jaundice in comfortable, familiar surroundings.

Scotland now concentrates its highest-level specialist Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) into a three-centre model to optimise medical outcomes for the most critically ill and premature infants. These deliver complex, high-volume intensive care, alongside co-located paediatric surgery and cardiac specialties.

This centralised model is based on evidence from the Best Start Report noting that care for babies at highest risk is safest in units which can treat a high volume of patients.

InnoScot Health has continued to work closely with NHS Lothian midwives who innovated in encouraging vital skin-to-skin contact for newborn babies through a breakthrough scrubs design.

Marianne Hay and Stacey Boyle of St John’s Hospital are keen to see the unique design of Cozy Cuddle Scrubs (by Stacey)™ become embedded into everyday healthcare.

Gillian added: “The specially modified theatre scrubs enable birthing partners to step in and provide immediate, warming skin-to-skin contact with their newborns after a caesarean section while the surgical team focus on the mum and completion of the procedure.

“While skin-to-skin with birthing partners is not a replacement for the mum, but an interim measure, the scrubs — composed of comforting fleece material — help to keep the temperature and breathing of newborn babies at a consistent level, which means fewer interventions.

“Importantly, they have further assisted in realising a reduction in admissions to the neonatal unit at St John’s Hospital.”