A follow-up service needs a reliable handover between the birth unit, testing service and clinician reviewing the newborn. Buying more phototherapy devices does not resolve a missing appointment or an unassigned test result.

Plan treatment access alongside the information pathway. Clinical staff determine the timing of follow-up and interpret bilirubin values using the infant assessment and approved guidance; procurement supports the resources needed to carry out those decisions.

Define the minimum handover information

Agree a local dataset that preserves infant identification, relevant age information, test method, sampling time, result units and the planned review. Identify who can correct an incomplete record. A number copied without its timing or context should not be treated as a complete handover.

Assign ownership at each boundary

Name the service that books testing, the person or role that receives the result and the route for contacting the family. Include an action for a missed appointment and a result that arrives after the usual team leaves. Confirm that urgent concerns enter the clinical escalation pathway rather than an administrative queue.

Connect follow-up to available treatment capacity

Map where an infant can be assessed and treated if the reviewing clinician decides that phototherapy is needed. Include device availability, trained staff and access during peak periods. Equipment reserved on paper is not available capacity if cleaning, repair or staffing prevents use.

Procurement comparison

Decision before ordering

Audit the pathway with completed cases and exception cases. The useful measures are whether the handover reached its next owner and whether the required service was available, not simply how many devices were purchased.