Princess of Wales visits Chase Community Hospital

The Princess of Wales has visited the Chase Community Hospital in Bordon, Hampshire.

The Princess visited the hospital to see firsthand how a project funded by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood is being expanded to help identify more babies and their families who need extra support. The Princess of Wales launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in June 2021.

Picture by David Cliff / Kensington Palace

Suzanne Rankin, chief executive of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said it was “delighted” to welcome the Princess. “We know how important the earliest years of a child’s life are. Giving our health visitors additional tools to recognise when a baby or family might need support means we can respond earlier and help give children the best possible start in life.”

Alison Morton of the Institute for Health Visiting said, “There has been strong national interest in learning from Hampshire’s experience, and we look forward to supporting the wider rollout of ADBB. By enabling earlier identification and intervention, it can make a real difference for babies and families.”

The observational tool used is called the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB). It focuses on babies’ eye contact, facial expressions, and activity levels to help understand their social behaviour.

The Princess of Wales first observed the tool in practice during a visit to Denmark in February 2022 and tasked the Centre with exploring how it could be used in the United Kingdom. The Centre worked together with the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) to bring the approach to the United Kingdom.

The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood announced a further investment of £250,000 over three years this summer to support wider adoption of the approach.