£7million redevelopment of Women's Hospital baby unit revealed

Mar 6 2009 by Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM Women’s Hospital is to carry out a £7 million redevelopment of its baby unit as medics battle to cope with a surge in birth rates across the city.

Renovations will get under way in coming weeks to create state-of-the-art neonatal wards with the potential for 50 cots, of which 26 are for intensive and high dependency care to cope with the growing demand from smaller and premature tots.

Claire Austin, spokeswoman for Birmingham Women’s Hospital, said the development would boost cot numbers from the current eight intensive care, four high dependency and 20 special care cots.

“Demand for neonatal cots has grown year on year as the birth rate has risen and also because doctors are able to treat increasingly small and younger babies than before,” said Ms Austin.

“More than 800 babies are treated in the Birmingham Women’s Hospital neonatal unit every year.