Marking a whole year of Nottingham University Hospital’s New Neonatal Unit | Latest news

We are delighted to be marking one year of our new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) this month, which opened its doors to the first patients on 12 December 2024.

The brand new £32million NICU is four times the size of the previous one and was designed to be a home-from-home for babies and their families.  Since opening its doors, the new unit has seen and treated 592 babies and 55 nurses have joined the neonatal service to care for our littlest patients.

 

The first baby to be transferred to the new unit in December last year was Jasmine Khan (pictured above when she was on the unit (left) and then when she turned one (right)), who was delivered by an emergency caesarean section at just 34 weeks gestation, weighing 1.23kg.

Now, a year on, first time mum Halimah Khan, from the Lenton area of Nottingham, said: “I can’t believe it has been a year since Jasmine was the first baby on the unit.

“The new unit is so different and so much better for families, especially children who are visiting as there are lovely play areas for them.

“Jasmine is now doing really well and I can't thank the unit enough for the care they provided for her.”

A year on from opening, families continue to benefit from the home-from-home environment, such as Titi Amusan from Sneinton, who recently gave birth to twins Matilda and Mervin, at just 23 weeks gestation and weighing just 560grams (Matilda) and 610grams (Mervin).

 

Mervin (pictured above right) was on the unit for just over 18 weeks, and Matilda (pictured above left) just over 20 weeks, but are now home in time for their first Christmas. Now, nearly 6 months old, the twins and their family came back to the unit to meet with staff who cared for them and help mark a year of the neonatal unit.

Titi said: “It has been a real journey for us having the twins so early, but the unit was wonderful. The staff have been so good and reassuring and have really provided the support that we needed, from the receptionists, to the consultants, nursing staff, everyone has provided such good care to us. 

“Thanks to the set up of the new unit, the twins were able to be in the same cot space, which made a real difference to us as we were able to be all together as a family whilst they were both cared for.

“It has been a really scary time for us, but with the help and support of everyone in the neonatal team, especially the family care team, I am so pleased both the twins have now been discharged and we can be home in time for Christmas to celebrate it all together.”

Dr Lleona Lee, Consultant Neonatologist and NUH’s Clinical lead for the Maternity and Neonatal Redesign, said: “The new unit has had such a significant impact not only for our babies and families, but also in the way that we work within our teams.

“Our multidisciplinary teams have been able to work better together and with our families to support our babies and provide better family integrated care.

“Having teams like the clinical psychologists, our allied healthcare professionals and pharmacists within the unit has made a real difference.

“We are delighted that one year on, we can see how the aspirations of the design have made a real difference in providing a nurturing environment fit for modern intensive care with larger cot spaces and space for our parents, families and staff.”

Dr Muzamal Rehman from the Clinical Psychology team at NUH said: "Many families enter the NICU at a time which may be filled with worry and uncertainty. We understand the emotional strain that families can feel when their baby is unwell, in addition to being away from their home and their normal routine. The environment itself can have a huge impact on how parents cope. 

“Having worked on the old unit, I’ve seen first-hand the difference a modern and thoughtfully designed space can make, for example the greater distance between cots gives families privacy at a time when they may feel incredibly vulnerable. The family lounge and the two quiet rooms give families a space to connect, decompress and access support without ever being far from their babies.

“Over this past year, the Clinical Psychology team has really noticed how the new NICU environment helps contain some of the emotional weight families are already carrying; instead of adding to their stress it brings a sense of calm. It has changed the way we provide psychologically informed care allowing us to be more sensitive, more present, and better able to respond to families' needs in the moment.

“It is a privilege to work alongside the dedicated neonatal teams at both QMC and City hospitals supporting babies and families on their neonatal journey."

Funded by NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, the NICU now provides an additional 21 cots at QMC, taking the total to 38, and the overall footprint of the site has increased from 500m² to 2000m² making it the largest Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the East Midlands.

Nottingham Hospitals Charity provided more than £322,000 in fundraising support as part of their Big Appeal to support some of the enhancements included on the neonatal unit to help it to feel like a home from home. This included the frosted glass partition screens for the bays, the children’s play areas and televisions for the family rooms.