Our neonatal service is a modern, dynamic, and high-performing unit. We serve a population with around 12,000 births each year. We are a regional surgical neonatal care unit, and 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 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.
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.
Information for families with babies on our units Find out more about neonatal at the Leicester Royal Infirmary Find out more about neonatal at the Leicester General Hospital