First babies arrive on new QMC neonatal intensive care unit

The new £32 million neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham has welcomed its first 18 babies, following the opening on 10 December. The unit is four times the size of the previous one and has been designed to be a home-from-home for babies and their families.

Consultant Neonatologist and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust clinical lead for the maternity and neonatal redesign Dr Lleona Lee says: “We have been working very hard to ensure that the transition to the unit was as safe and smooth as possible, and that families were comfortable and felt supported during this time.

“We are really excited to finally welcome families on to our brand new facility, as it’s been a long time coming. The unit is going to have a significant positive impact on the lives and futures of the neonatal babies we care for, as well as the staff who work within it.”

Funded by NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, the NICU will provide an additional 21 cots at QMC, taking the total to 38, and the overall footprint of the site has increased from 500m² to 2,000m² making it the largest NICU in the East Midlands.

Key features include larger cot bays, providing more space for families when visiting and staying with their babies; glass screening between bays to provide acoustic barriers and privacy; several retractable glass dividers for families with twins and triplets; family accommodation and kitchen and lounge areas for those staying overnight; and two play areas so that siblings have their own space to play.

Nottingham Hospitals Charity have provided more than £322,000 in fundraising support as part of its Big Appeal to support some of the enhancements included on the neonatal unit. This includes the frosted glass partition screens for the bays, the children’s play areas and televisions for the family rooms.

Charity Chief Executive Nigel Gregory says: “Thanks to all those who have generously donated to our Big Appeal, we are delighted to have been able to fund some of the special touches, home comforts and additional equipment that will help make this new neonatal unit a home-from-home for babies and families.

“With poorly babies and their families at the forefront of our minds, we have funded added extras such as glazed screens between bays, to allow families to have space and privacy with their babies, welcoming wall art in the entrance to help visitors feel at home when entering the unit, and comfortable furniture and play equipment for siblings visiting their baby brothers and sisters. I’d like to thank everyone who has donated to make this possible, it will make a real difference to families who may be spending weeks or even months on the unit.”

As a result of the new facility, the QMC will be the trust’s NICU and the neonatal unit at City Hospital will become a local neonatal nit where babies can continue to receive intensive care for a short period of time, before being transferred to the QMC for longer-term care, if needed.