First babies moved to new QMC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit – Jasmine’s story
The brand new £32million Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham has welcomed its first 18 babies, following the facility’s opening earlier this week (10 December).
The unit, which is four times the size of the previous one, has been designed to be a home-from-home for babies and their families. The first baby to be transferred to the new NICU on transfer day (12 December) was Jasmine Khan, who has been an inpatient at QMC since her birth in November. Jasmine was delivered by an emergency caesarean section at just 34 weeks gestation, weighing 1.23kg.
First time mother Halimah Khan, from the Lenton area of Nottingham, had expected to carry Jasmine to full term, before finding out that she wasn’t growing at the predicted rate. Jasmine was delivered early and has been receiving specialised care on the QMC’s previous neonatal unit for the last month.
Halimah, said: “We have been taking each day as it comes. There have been some ups and downs with Jasmine having some good and bad days, but recently she has been doing well and has been more awake.”
Ahead of the transfer to the new unit from the old one, Halimah and other families were given tours to familiarise themselves with their new surroundings.
Halimah said: “The new unit looks wonderful and will be so much better for families, especially those visiting with children as there are lovely play areas for them. I was a little nervous about the move, but am excited now I’m here”
For the transfer, a carefully planned route was organised to keep babies safe at all times. Parents were also invited to walk alongside their babies on their journey, if they wished.
Coincidentally, Halimah herself was also cared for by NUH’s neonatal team 24 years ago. She was joined by her mother, Maniza Begum Khan, for Jasmine’s transfer to the new unit. Reflecting on her own experience, Maniza said: “The new unit is so much better. The facilities and equipment are wonderful, with each baby having their own trolley for the things that they need. There is just so much more space, and it feels really really homely.”
Dr Lleona Lee, Consultant Neonatologist and NUH’s Clinical lead for the Maternity and Neonatal Redesign, said: “We have been working very hard to ensure that the transition to the unit was as safe and smooth as possible, and that families were comfortable and felt supported during this time.
“We are really excited to finally welcome families onto our brand new facility, as it’s been a long time coming! The unit is going to have a significant positive impact on the lives and futures of the neonatal babies we care for, as well as the staff who work within it.”
Funded by NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, the NICU will provide 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 us the largest Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the East Midlands.
Key features include larger cot bays, providing more space for families when visiting and staying with their babies; glass screening between bays to provide acoustic barriers and privacy; several retractable glass dividers for families with twins and triplets; family accommodation and kitchen and lounge areas for those staying overnight; and two play areas so that siblings have their own space to play.
Programme Director, Jenni Twinn, who led the delivery of the neonatal unit, explained what a significant step forward the new unit is for neonatal services.
She said: “Welcoming our first babies onto the unit is a huge milestone, on what has been many years in the making. We have created a real home-from-home for our families to help them feel cared for and supported during their time with us, and it is this attention to detail that sets this unit apart.
“This would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of so many people who have committed to making this beautiful unit a reality.”
Nottingham Hospitals Charity have 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 includes the frosted glass partition screens for the bays, the children’s play areas and televisions for the family rooms.
Nigel Gregory, Chief Executive of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said: “Thanks to all those who have generously donated to our Big Appeal, we are delighted to have been able to fund some of the special touches, home comforts and additional equipment that will help make this new neonatal unit a home-from-home for babies and families.
“With poorly babies and their families at the forefront of our minds, we have funded added extras such as glazed screens between bays, to allow families to have space and privacy with their babies, welcoming wall art in the entrance to help visitors feel at home when entering the unit, and comfortable furniture and play equipment for siblings visiting their baby brothers and sisters. I’d like to thank everyone who has donated to make this possible, it will make a real difference to families who may be spending weeks or even months on the unit.”
As a result of the new facility, the QMC will become NUH’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the neonatal unit at City Hospital will become a Local Neonatal Unit – where babies can continue to receive intensive care for a short period of time, before being transferred to the QMC for longer-term care, if needed.
To ensure the cot numbers are increased in the safest way possible, the NICU will not be expanding the number of cots in use until the New Year.