Southampton hospital unveils £1.5m children's unit upgrade

The unit includes five new isolation rooms to help prevent infections

A hospital has unveiled a £1.5m upgrade to help treat seriously ill children and protect them from infection.

The refurbished paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Southampton General Hospital includes five isolation cubicles and a new oxygenation machine.

Infection prevention measures are a key feature of the project and a continuing priority after the Covid pandemic, the hospital said.

The upgrade was paid for by the NHS with support from local charities.

An auction of hare sculptures by actress Sarah Parish helped to fund the project

Actors Sarah Parish and Jim Murray helped to fund the work through an auction of hare sculptures by their trust, which was set up following the death of their infant daughter in 2009.

They said: "These new isolation rooms will reduce the risk of infection for both parents and children and give them the privacy they deserve during the most traumatic time of their lives."

The Friends of PICU charity purchased a new extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine to prevent babies and children with severe heart or lung failure from having to go to London or Glasgow for treatment.

The isolation rooms contain sensory lighting and pictures, the NHS trust said

The unit also features an enlarged isolation room for up to two patients which can be turned into an emergency operating theatre.

Other developments include new central monitoring and ventilation systems.

The PICU is part of Southampton Children's Hospital which is spread across three floors of the hospital building.

University Hospital Southampton (UHS) NHS Trust said the facility was the sixth largest in the UK and the lead centre for paediatric intensive care in south-central England.

Freya Pearson, UHS deputy chief medical officer, said: "The renovation of this unit is a proud moment for the trust and our charity partners who have helped fund this amazing project."