'Mums were all so pleased they could stay at their baby's side'

NEW SPECIAL CARE UNIT AT BURTON HOSPITAL ALLOWS PARENTS TO STAY WITH NEWBORNS

- By JOSEPH RICHARDS

PARENTS can now stay overnight with their baby at a state-of-the-art Special Care Unit now open at Queen's Hospital Burton.

The new unit, which cost more than £2.5 million, will support families to access enhanced neonatal care for premature babies, or those who require care immediately after birth.

It includes overnight provision for families, empowering parents to be more involved in their newborns' care while they are on the unit.

Other improvements include more modern equipment, such as better monitoring resources, and a much lighter area with skylights to create a calmer, more comforting space.

The open plan design and centralised view will allow for better visibility of all babies on the unit for hospital staff, and more privacy for families in the early days of their baby's life.

Ben and Samantha Crockett were among the first parents to use the unit with their daughter Florence, who was born at 33 weeks gestation, weighing four pounds and three ounces.

Ben said: "The care we have received has been wonderful and we have seen firsthand how much of a difference the improvements to the unit have made.