BARNSLEY Hospital’s new neonatal unit will open next month thanks to the generosity of Barnsley people.
Radio presenter Stephanie Hirst will officially open the unit four years after a massive fundraising appeal called Tiny Hearts was launched to raise £1m. Dickie Bird will also be a guest, having donated thousands of pounds.
The new unit will provide care for babies born at 27 weeks and above. It has been relocated and redeveloped and offers a bright, welcoming and spacious environment for families and their babies. It is part of the hospital’s wider refurbishment of O-Block, the oldest part of the hospital estate built in 1973.
The new unit is on the first floor of the women’s services block and has 14 cots - two intensive care, three high dependency and nine special care.
Work started on the £2.8 million unit earlier this year.
Lead neonatal nurse Angela Whelton said: “During the 28 years I have worked on the existing neonatal unit, neonatal care has progressed dramatically. The babies we would once have struggled to save are now surviving with great outcomes, thanks to the advances in medical care.
“Our old unit was not built with parents so much in mind. The actual care we give the baby in our new unit will not change, the biggest benefit will be the change to parents who can sometimes spend weeks or even months on the unit with their baby.
“This new unit is bringing our environment into the 21st century. The hospital has invested a large amount of money to make this happen but none of it would be possible without the generosity of the people of Barnsley.”
The new unit will have 34 nurses, six healthcare assistants and two housekeeping staff working with a medical team, as well as dieticians, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, and pharmacists. There are also three new ventilators at a cost of £25,000.
Hospital chairman Steve Wragg said: “My son Noah was born in Barnsley in 2003 and was six weeks early. He stopped breathing three times and went into the neonatal unit. All these years later and he’s now a Yorkshire county qualified swimmer. It just shows how you can go from what looks like tragedy to success.
“The hospital is an amazing place to be part of and our staff deliver the most incredible care. Many of the treatments we take for granted now have been developed through massive investment and massive change. I promised this new unit to staff in 2013 and now we are about to deliver.
“I want to thank everyone who works so hard for our trust every day, from all our nurses and doctors to fundraisers and supporters to volunteers and governors.”
The Tiny Hearts Appeal now stands at almost £680,000. Lisa Calvert, of Barnsley Hospital Charity, said fundraising would continue so the unit could have further modern equipment as well as furnishings.
The opening on November 8 will run alongside the hospital’s Lan-Tarn Fest, where visitors are invited to dedicate a lantern in memory of a loved one or celebrate someone’s recovery. All the ‘Lan-Tarns’ will be laid out to create a giant symbol of love. Both events run from 2pm to 7pm.
