£2.5m Charity Appeal launched by Liverpool legend for new neonatal ICU Plans for state-of-the-art unit for new-born babies in Liverpool
Liverpool, UK
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September 15, 2021 03:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Jamie Carragher is backing a new fundraising appeal for a brand new, state of art Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool, UK.
Jamie, who was treated at Alder Hey’s neonatal ward for the first six weeks of his life, is launching the appeal to raise £2.5m for the new Surgical NICU on behalf of Alder Hey Children’s Charity.
The new Surgical NICU is a joint project between Alder Hey and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust as the Liverpool Neonatal Partnership.
Subject to planning permission, the new unit will result in a further 22 neonatal cots for Liverpool and will feature 18 individual family rooms where parents can be alongside their poorly new-borns whilst they’re receiving expert care.
The unit will address a shared concern between Liverpool Women’s and Alder Hey that babies who need specialist surgery currently have to be transferred to Alder Hey to get the specialist surgical care they need and are then transferred back to Liverpool Women’s Hospital to continue their specialist neonatal care.
The planned facility will cost £16.5m to build with the Charity Appeal aiming to contribute £2.5m.
Charity funding will provide ‘over and above’ enhancements and equipment for both the clinical space and family areas, elevating it from a facility that provides families with a safe and secure environment for them and their new-borns, to a truly world-class facility that wraps-around families with the most vulnerable babies in the region.
Jamie Carragher said:
“My family and I will forever be grateful to Alder Hey after they cared for me as a baby. The plan to build a new neonatal unit sounds like a fantastic idea. It will help keep families together at such a worrying time and provide lifesaving treatment. I am proud to support this appeal and it is something we can all get behind.”
Fiona Ashcroft, CEO of Alder Hey Children’s Charity said:
“Jamie has been a supporter of the work of the hospital for many years and is a brilliant Charity Champion for Alder Hey – we were delighted this Liverpool Legend accepted our suggestion to head the Appeal to help us spread the word in the region as well across the country. We can’t wait to see the build start; this unit is going to be world leading!”
Specialist neonatal staff from Liverpool Women’s Hospital will plan to work alongside Alder Hey at the new NICU ensuring that poorly babies are transferred between the two hospitals as little as possible.
Central to the new unit will be the use of new innovative technology. This will continue to include Telehealth Medicine Robots currently being used which allow clinicians to monitor and see babies remotely. There are further technologies being worked through currently to support the vision of a silent NICU including Neonatal Tracking; a wearable device worn around a parents wrist which send signals to receivers around the hospital and allow staff to know where the parent is in case of an emergency and also virtual monitoring of babies, allowing doctors and nurses to have access to have constant sight on the babies and their vital signs, whilst still providing the family with the safety and privacy of a cubicle.
Planning permission is to be submitted at the end of September 2021.
You can donate towards the Appeal at www.alderheycharity.org/surgical-neonatal-appeal
Editor’s notes
For more information about Alder Hey please contact: media@alderhey.nhs.uk
About Alder Hey Children’s Charity
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital treats over 330,000 children every year – that’s more than 900 children each and every day, more than any other children’s hospital in the UK.
Alder Hey Children’s Charity supports the work of Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust by raising much needed funds that are spent directly on initiatives in the hospital to benefit patients. Without the support of charitable donations, many of the outstanding facilities and innovations at Alder Hey could not be achieved.
Alder Hey Children’s Charity has raised over £56m since April 2013 for a range of life-saving medical equipment and facilities that are making a real difference to families every day.
Further Information
The new NICU is subject to planning permission approval.
In 2019/20, 147 babies were transferred between the two hospitals with some transferred multiple times. Every transfer carries a risk to these babies at the most vulnerable time in their lives and can often lead to separation from parents and/or multiple birth siblings.
The new Surgical NICU will offer, for the first time, an integrated clinical pathway between Alder Hey and Liverpool Women’s Hospital which will enhance the clinical care model for babies requiring surgery in the new-born period. Specialist neonatal staff from Liverpool Women’s Hospital will work alongside Alder Hey at the new NICU ensuring that babies do not need to be transferred back and forth between the two hospitals.
The new facility will significantly reduce the number of transfers needed as well as improve the care for all babies requiring neonatal surgery, ensuring all developmental and care needs are met. It will also bring parents and their babies together in a private, comfortable setting so they can bond as a family. This means parents can be by their baby’s side every step of the way.
Contact Details
Phil McNamara
+44 151 293 3502
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