Neonatal unit opens after £32m redevelopment

Amy and Will Wood's daughter India was born 14 weeks prematurely

Babies will begin moving into the largest neonatal unit in the East Midlands later this week.

The unit at the Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham has increased from 500 sq m to 2,000 sq m following the completion of the development.

The number of cots Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust now has available at the QMC for premature babies has risen from 17 to 38.

Facilities at the £32m unit include increased space for each baby and their medical equipment, glass screening between cot bays to provide acoustic barriers and privacy, a kitchen and lounge area for families staying in overnight accommodation, and a dedicated bereavement suite for neonatal families.

The new neonatal unit is the largest in the East Midlands

Amy and Will Wood's daughter India was born 14 weeks premature at the QMC last year.

They said the new facilities would make treatment more comfortable for families going through similar situations.

"It's fantastic - just the amount of space, how bright it is, [and] little things like having your own chairs," said Mr Wood.

"Before it would be a little bit like musical chairs first thing in the morning."

Ms Wood added: "In the [old] bay you could hear everyone else's ward rounds, just because you were so close.

"I think it will be a lot better."

Anthony May, NUH chief executive, said the new unit was part of efforts by the trust to improve maternity services, which are currently subject of the largest inquiry of its kind in NHS history.

"We've got a lot more to do, but hopefully this new facility demonstrates what we can do when we are at our best," he said.

"It absolutely matters that we get the right people, with the right culture and attitudes, with the right training and facilities - it's all come together here."

Analysis

By Rob Sissons, BBC East Midlands health correspondent

The NHS is a world of competing priorities, and there will be other areas of NUH looking on with envy at refurbished neonatal facilities at the Queen's Medical Centre.

Staff have had input into the design, and in common with new hospital environments there will be clear advantages to new facilities.

Space tends to offer improved privacy, and new facilities can help with infection control.

A new environment is one thing, but the ongoing maternity review into failings at Nottingham's two maternity units casts something of a shadow over the development.

There are many unanswered questions for harmed families, and the neonatal service is very much part of the review being led by experienced midwife Donna Ockenden.

She and her team are due to deliver full findings in autumn 2025.

Babies will start moving into the new unit this week