The number of cots at the Queen's Medical Centre neonatal unit is set to double after plans were approved to expand the unit. The number of intensive, high dependency and special care cots at the Nottingham hospital will increase from 17 to 38 by the end of 2024.
Currently, the service has to transfer babies out of Nottingham to other hospitals each week, sometimes beyond the East Midlands, since there are not enough intensive care cots to meet demand. Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH), which runs QMC and City Hospital, said the current lack of capacity was "a real problem".
Neonatal consultant Lleona Lee said: “The Nottingham Neonatal Service strives to give the best care to the babies from our local population and those from our wider regional network who need intensive care, and the current lack of capacity is a real problem.”
Can you name these 10 shops lost from Nottingham city centre? Take our quiz here
Under the plans, approved by NHS England on Monday, February 20, the neonatal unit at City Hospital will become a ‘Local Neonatal Unit’, where babies can continue to receive high dependency and special care and be managed in intensive care for up to 48 hours, before being transferred to the QMC for longer term care where needed.
Jenni Twinn, maternity and neonatal redesign programme director, said: “The current neonatal unit at the QMC is very cramped. This programme provides a great opportunity for us to improve the environment, not only giving families more privacy at what can be a very difficult time for them, but also enabling our staff to support them to actively participate in family integrated care, leading to a much better overall experience.”
During the construction period, which are due to start in September, the neonatal service will temporarily relocate to the Paediatric Surgical Unit within Nottingham Children’s Hospital. The aim is for the new, expanded facility to be completed by the end of 2024.
Lucy Dadge, Director of Integration at the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, added: “The expansion of neonatal facilities in Nottingham is something we have wanted to achieve for a long time. Although the service is small numerically in terms of the number of babies cared for, it is regionally commissioned, and the current lack of cots can increase the risk of poorer outcomes. The benefits for families of this programme will be truly transformational.”
Read Next:
