Neonatal

Our neonatal service is a modern, dynamic, and high-performing unit, we serve a population with around 12,000 births each year. We provide expert care to newborns with a wide range of medical and surgical needs, including some of the most complex and critically ill babies in the region.

Our unit adopts a FICare (Family Integrated Care) approach. This means we want to support and empower families to be the primary caregivers for their babies, in partnership with the clinical team.

Our network of care

We are proud to be one of two neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) within the East Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (EMNODN), and we serve as the lead centre for the South Hub. As part of this collaborative network, we care for babies requiring intensive support, including those born prematurely or with complex medical conditions. When appropriate, we work with local neonatal units (LNUs) and special care units (SCUs) to continue care closer to families’ homes once babies are stable.

Our specialist team includes neonatal surgeons, and we provide both pre- and post-operative care on-site for babies referred through our regional neonatal surgical network. We also work closely with the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre, located on-site, to care for neonates with complex cardiac conditions.

As a regional cooling centre, we offer therapeutic hypothermia for babies who have experienced oxygen deprivation around the time of birth. We also support UHL’s ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) service – the UK’s largest – delivering life-saving support to our most seriously ill newborns.

We collaborate with the CenTre neonatal transport service to support safe and specialist transfers, and we work closely with our Fetal Medicine Service to provide antenatal counselling, delivery planning, and ongoing care for babies with complex diagnoses.

Our hospital sites

Our service currently operates across two hospital sites with a total of 42 cots. At present, the Leicester Royal Infirmary is home to our main neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which includes 10 intensive care cots, eight high dependency cots, and 12 special care cots. The Leicester General Hospital hosts a smaller special care unit (SCU) with 12 special care cots. Many babies receive care at both sites during their stay.

We also provide transitional care services at both locations, including physical cots on the postnatal wards and a virtual, enhanced home-based transitional care service. Central to our approach is a robust family integrated care programme, which prioritises keeping mothers and babies together to enhance bonding and improve the overall neonatal care experience.

Our team

Medical team

Our service is supported by a skilled and experienced medical team comprising consultants, specialty doctors, and clinical fellows. We are a training centre for paediatric and neonatal doctors in the East Midlands, and we maintain strong academic links with the local medical school, providing clinical training for undergraduate students and foundation year doctors. Advanced neonatal nurse practitioners also play a vital role in supporting both medical and nursing teams.

Nursing team

Our nursing team is led by a head of nursing, lead nurse, and several matrons, and includes colleagues across Bands 3 to 7. They are supported by ward managers and a dedicated education team. We also have a well-established home care team, which provides enhanced transitional care and outreach services, including support for babies requiring nasogastric feeding, phototherapy, home oxygen therapy, or who were born late preterm or small for gestational age.

Allied services

Our service is further strengthened by a range of allied professionals, including play therapists, specialist infant feeding advisors, psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, receptionists, clinic coordinators, secretarial staff, and housekeepers. We are proud of our strong public health focus, particularly through the work of our specialist team supporting efforts to reduce perinatal and infant mortality. Bereavement support is provided in collaboration with palliative care specialists.

Operational team

Our operations are overseen by a dedicated leadership and management team, ensuring that clinical, operational, and strategic priorities are met to deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care.

Research in neonatal studies

Our neonatal unit actively contributes to a wide range of national and international research studies, supporting advancements in neonatal care through collaborative participation. In addition to hosting studies as a research site, we also lead original research focused on areas such as moderate and late preterm birth, improving health service delivery, and reducing the risks associated with infant mortality.