First patient officially opens refurbished Paediatric Critical Care Unit at QMC after receiving care on her first birthday | Latest news

The Paediatric Critical Care Unit (PCCU) at the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) was officially re-opened to patients on Wednesday 11 June after undergoing a four-month refurbishment to update and improve a number of key areas.

The unit was temporarily relocated in the hospital whilst refurbishments took place and improvements include; lighting upgrades that include ambient lighting that parents can control, flooring upgrades, a new main reception area, a quiet family room with sound proofing, new intensive care monitors, a new nurse call system as well as some fantastic artwork by a local Nottinghamshire artist that has been kindly funded by the NUH Charity.

One-year-old Ayla-Dua Shani was the very first patient on the newly refurbished unit, and her mum, Saime Nesseer, was given the honour of cutting the ribbon to the unit.

Ayla-Dua was born prematurely at just 26 weeks, so spent the first four months of her life on the QMC and City Hospital Neonatal Units, before being allowed to go home with an oxygen supply which she needed until February.

Unfortunately, it was on the evening of Ayla-Dua’s first birthday – 7 June – that she was brought into A&E struggling to breathe and was eventually admitted to PCCU the following day with Bronchiolitis.

Ayla-Dua’s mum, Saime, from Aspley, said: “She hadn’t been well for a week, but we had just cut her cake and knew that something wasn’t right. It was really scary.”

Her baby daughter has been cared for on the temporary PCCU unit at QMC, and on Wednesday 11 June was moved across the hospital by a team of specialist staff to the newly refurbished PCCU.

Saime explained that the feel on the new unit was completely different.

She said: “It’s so beautiful with bright colours, and very light and airy. You can see there’s been some very good work by the whole team.

“All the staff have been fantastic too – especially her nurse Tendai who hasn’t left her side.”

Ayla-Dua’s Auntie, Naz Shah, was also present for the move from the temporary unit to the newly refurbished PCCU, and said she had been so impressed by all the staff at QMC and City Hospital in the year that they had supported her niece.

She said: “The staff here have been amazing – they couldn’t have done more for us.

“They saved Ayla when she was born, and now they are doing everything they can for her. We know she’s in safe hands.”

Ayla’s family hope that she will be able to go home in two to three weeks’ time.

Liz Bailey, PCCU Matron said: “We are so proud of the refurbished unit, it has been a real team effort across the Trust to incorporate all the changes we wanted to see and we couldn’t be happier with how it has turned out.

The changes will have such a positive impact on our patients and their families, from things like the dedicated quiet room where we will be able to have private conversations with families to the beautiful artwork, it will make a huge difference.”