First Minister officially opens £18m North Wales Neonatal Unit

The new £18m neonatal intensive care unit for North Wales located at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd has been officially opened by First Minister Carwyn Jones.

The Sub Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Centre (SuRNICC) is a 20-cot unit caring for the most poorly and premature babies born in North Wales and is part of the North Wales Neonatal Network, which links special care units in Wrexham and Bangor.

It includes a transitional care service to help parents of newborn babies spend more time with their infant, a neonatal transport service to ensure babies born across North Wales can access facilities at the unit, and on-site parent accommodation. It also meets the highest neonatal standards, and offers significantly improved facilities for both the families of the babies and staff.

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Delighted to open a new £18m neonatal intensive care unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd which will care for the most poorly & premature babies born in North Wales. @BCUHB @DrEmmaHosking @DrPhilBanfield pic.twitter.com/PtqdU9ozKE

— Carwyn Jones (@fmwales) September 12, 2018

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The First Minister approved plans for the SuRNICC to be sited at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in 2014 following a recommendation from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to centralise neonatal services in North Wales.

The First Minister said:

“The SuRNICC is a wonderful new centre for neonatal intensive care in North Wales. I approved the siting of the unit at Glan Clwyd back in 2014, and it has been a real privilege to be here today to talk to staff and families about their experiences at the new facility.

“The teams across North Wales have worked exceptionally hard to ensure that the population have new neonatal services that care for sick and premature babies within the region, reducing the number of babies and families having to travel to England for their care.

“The people of North Wales have access to the very best neonatal care and everyone involved should be very proud of their achievements.”

Mandy Cooke, Neonatal Service Manager, said:

“We’re extremely proud of our new unit, and were delighted to show the First Minister around.

“The new facilities will help our neonatal team ensure poorly and premature babies, and their families, continue to receive outstanding care in North Wales for many years to come.”