£1.8m baby unit opens at Pilgrim Hospital

BABIES born prematurely or with medical problems are benefiting from a new, state-of-the-art £1.8 million special care baby unit at Boston's Pilgrim Hospital.

The unit has spaces for eight babies plus a stabilisation area for infants likely to be transferred out to a regional unit for intensive care as well as an isolation room and two en-suite parent rooms.

Official opening: The new Â£1.8 million special care baby unit at Bostonâs Pilgrim Hospital was officially opened by two families who have benefited from the service in the past. Claire and Jonathan Fovargue and their children Amelia, Isabel and Samuel along with Kimberly Leakey and Aaron Ashberry and their baby Lilly-May are pictured with hospital staff.
Vital equipment: Each incubator at the unit now has its own individual column to provide oxygen, air, suction, power supply, call bell and lighting.
Modern look: One of the parent rooms at the new unit.

It was officially opened last week in a ribbon cutting ceremony performed by two families who have already been through the special care services at the Pilgrim.

A total of 683 babies were cared for on the old unit at the Pilgrim in the last three years and the hospital says the improved facilities will have advantages for families and staff.

Unit sister Yvonne Truepenny told the Target: "This new unit is different to our old one because all the babies are nursed in one nursery and parents are reassured because there is a nurse in there at all times.

"Each incubator or cot space has its own individual column to provide oxygen, air, suction, power supply, call bell and lighting.

"The monitors for observing heart rate, respiration and saturation levels are attached to the column but can also be observed at the nurses' station.

"All the lights dim on the ceiling and floor to provide a peaceful environment both during the day and at night time.

"Each cot space has curtains which can be pulled round for privacy and dignity in situations when the parents wish to cuddle and feed their babies, when mothers are expressing breast milk or doctors are performing procedures on the babies.

"We also have a transitional care four-bedded bay where mothers can stay and nurse their babies if they require some extra observation before discharge.

"The unit has provided the staff with an opportunity to look at new ways of working to support families and babies which require this specialist service with updated facilities and an increase in nursing staff."

All three of Claire Fovargue's children were born prematurely and treated at the old special care unit.

She said: "Having a special care unit in Boston is vital. Without it families would have to travel long distances to make visits and there would be a lot of extra stress.

"The staff at the Pilgrim are wonderful and now they have facilities to match."