The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or NICU is a very special unit.

This unique team care for hundreds or early born (premature) or extremely poorly babies every year. This is a very busy unit and is increasing in patients year on year. The unit has seen an increase in early born babies and an increase in multiple babies born.

The unit has specially trained doctors, nurses, pharmacists and nutritionists in caring for such small patients. The equipment provided is bespoke and designed for the care of small babies and requires constant upgrades to be able to offer the best care possible.

The unit has been fundraising for 9 years for their new premises and are so close to making that move now as the new unit will be available in early 2025. With the new unit they will have increased cots, lighting dedicated to each cot, a new bio-metric entrance system for parents to be able to enter and leave the unit as required, additional camera feeds for staff to monitor baby but also for parents to be able to get real life footage of their little one.

Funds have already been spent to purchase a new cot delivery system called a giraffe which means when baby is born they are placed in these incubator cots and transferred to the unit from delivery suite. They will then remain in this incubator cot until well enough to be placed in a different incubator or a cot. the new system reduces the need to keep handling baby which reduces stress and possible infections, they also keep babies core temperature stable all which offer the best possible outcome for baby.

This is an ongoing campaign as we are always looking to support the unit with upgraded equipment, care items, parents items and so much more.

By supporting this unit you are supporting the future generation!

Thank you, you can also visit our website to get more updates on this area https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/charity/support-our-appeals/neonatal-intensive-care-unit-nicu/