Princess Anne Hospital opens Special Care Baby Unit Woodland Walk

Ickle Pickles’ Events Project Manager and Fundraiser, Lorraine Blackburn and Ickle Pickles’ co-founder Rachael Marsh were thrilled to be invited to the grand opening of the Woodland Ward at Princess Anne Hospital’s Neonatal Unit in Southampton.

The Woodland Walk is part of the special care baby unit (SCBU) on the Neonatal Unit offering parents who are at the next step of their neonatal journey with their babies the chance to have a more 'home from home' experience. 

The unit is designed to provide neonatal care for premature and sick born after 32 weeks of gestation and weighing a minimum of 1.5 kg. Additionally, it is equipped to treat babies born very prematurely, starting from 22 weeks of gestation, as well as those admitted directly from maternity services.

Ickle Pickles actively supported the neonatal team for a number of years and helped furnish the new rooms which increased the neonatal service's capacity by five. The new rooms allow parents to stay overnight with their babies in comfortable surroundings. In total, there are now 12 cot spaces available as well as four family integrated care (FIC) rooms.

Ickle Pickles donated four double beds, lamps, sets of drawers, tables and chairs and a comfortable chair for the Expressing Room. 

Ickle Pickles’ Lorraine Blackburn commented “These rooms have been 'in the making' for many years so to see this part of the unit come to life was incredible. A lot of work from so many people has gone into this and knowing the difference it will make to so many families makes donating these items even more special.”

If you are interested in raising funds through Ickle Pickles for the neonatal unit at Princess Anne Hospital or your local neonatal unit, please get in touch and discuss how you can get involved.

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