News from our partners: SaTH reintroduces access for parents of babies being cared for in the Neonatal Unit

News from our partners Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH)

Parents and guardians of babies receiving care on the Neonatal Unit at the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford will be able to spend time with their baby whenever they want after restrictions brought in due to the COVID-19 pandemic were relaxed.

Two parents, or a parent and named guardian, are now able to visit the unit together and have access to the unit at any time, day or night.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs PRH, suspended visiting to help slow the spread of the virus.

On the Neonatal Unit, parents or a named carer were allowed to visit, but were required to alternate their visits throughout a 24-hour period, with one hour joint visiting permitted. That has now changed. Grandparents or siblings of the baby being cared for will still not be able to visit at this time.

Hayley Flavell, Director of Nursing at SaTH, said:

“The experience of having a newborn baby who is unwell for any reason can be an incredibly stressful experience, and we want to do all we can to support people in this situation.

“We recognise that parents and carers are an integral part of providing a baby’s care whilst they are being cared for in a neonatal unit, and we are pleased that we are able to relax restrictions to allow both parents, or a parent and named guardian, to spend time together with their baby.”