The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) reopened at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) King’s Lynn yesterday (18 July), following modernisation and refurbishment.
It follows the opening of the hospital’s new maternity ward last week and brings the NICU into line with the latest standards of patient care, including improved fire safety, a new ventilation system and air conditioning.
Importantly, the project included the vital work to put the necessary failsafes in place in the unit, as part of the organisation’s rolling programme of work to maximise safety in RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) areas of the QEH.
Amanda Price-Davey is Head of Nursing and Midwifery for the division of Women and Children at Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust. She said: “We’re delighted that our new NICU meets the latest standards of patient care, and the work to install failsafes in the unit is obviously a vital element to maximising safety across the hospital.
“There are some significant benefits for our parents and babies too, including wider access to allow new mothers who are not well enough to easily mobilise to come across to the unit on their hospital bed, to spend time with their baby.
“The unit also includes updated space for families, including a family room with new kitchen facilities, alongside two overnight rooms with refurbished shower rooms. New toilet facilities for staff also formed part of the refurbishment, alongside better and more energy-efficient lighting, which help to give the unit a new and more welcoming feel.”
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For further information, please contact the Communications team at media.enquiries@qehkl.nhs.uk or call 01553 613216.
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