£18m for Glan Clwyd neonatal intensive baby care centre

An £18m investment has been confirmed to build a new neonatal intensive care centre at a Denbighshire hospital.

Construction will begin on the centre at Glan Clwyd hospital in Bodelwyddan next month after the Welsh Government invested £16m on top of almost £2m already announced.

It will centralise care for very sick and premature babies in north Wales.

It follows protests against initial plans to downgrade maternity services there.

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said: "This investment reflects expert advice from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health who recommended that the health board should plan to provide neonatal intensive care at one central site in the region.

"I look forward to seeing the project progress and the new unit taking shape."

Work has also started to recruit the team including neonatal consultants for the Sub Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Centre.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said it was identifying what information and support families need and would find useful.

The new site is expected to open in 2018.