Lister Neonatal Big Build! Creating a better experience for parents with poorly babies in neonatal care.

The Neonatal Unit at the Lister Hospital cares for over 900 poorly babies each year; with the average stay on the unit being 10 weeks, the unit soon becomes a home away from home for parents.

There is currently a small familys lounge on our neonatal unit, which only has enough room for six visitors at a time. The unit is often at, or close to, the full capacity of 25 babies, with two visitors per baby allowed on the ward. When combined with visiting family, or older siblings, the current demand for this room far outweighs capacity; making a difficult time just that little bit harder.

There are extremely limited cooking facilities available, meaning the parents have to contend with the additional costs of buying food and traveling away from the unit to purchase it. Also, there are no washing facilities for partners staying on the unit with the mother and baby.
All of this results in additional time spent away from the unit, during a period where parents would rather remain close by.

With this project, we hope to make a hard time a little more comfortable by building a special room where parents can rest, prepare a meal or see their relatives. The extended space would include a larger seating area, play space for young siblings, dining area and extended kitchen units so a microwave and larger fridge could be added, as well as new washing facilities.

Follow this link to see the Lister Neonatal Unit Families Group's webpage:
http://www.listerneonatalunitfamiliesgroup.org/