Baby unit appeal breakthrough

Fundraising for a new intensive care unit for babies at the Royal United Hospital has been given a major boost, allowing building work to begin this year.

It was announced today that the RUH has doubled its own contribution to the project to £3 million, which leaves the Forever Friends Appeal charity needing to raise around £1.5 million to complete the project.

The appeal's Space to Grow campaign has already brought in £1.5 million over the last two years towards the cost of the £6 million scheme to create a new and larger neo-natal intensive care unit.

Appeal head of fundraising Tim Hobbs said: "It is a very significant stage in the project as we are now raising the last 25 per cent of the funds required to provide this wonderful new groundbreaking building."

He said it was hoped that the scheme would get planning permission over the summer, with the cutting of the first piece of turf in the autumn and the new centre open in early 2011.

"In the interim, having reached the fundraising home run, the appeal's task is to crack on so that we have all the money raised in the next 12 months."

The existing unit is cramped and noisy and does not offer the best environment for such specialist care.

Four incubators fill a room suitable for just one and any crisis with a baby has to be handled in front of other families, increasing anxiety about their own child.

In July 2007 the Space to Grow campaign was launched, to raise money to fund a new environmentally-friendly unit which offers the space and privacy needed.

Architects from Bath-based Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios have been working with nurses and clinicians to create an all-round approach to the building.

Clinical psychologist Mike Osborn said: "We are confident that this holistic approach can combine the very best scientific and clinical expertise, optimum space and environment, together with a sustainable building, and will establish the first NICU of its kind in the UK and beyond.

"Providing a nurturing and responsive environment will be key to improving and measuring health outcomes which will be shared widely throughout the NHS and further afield.

"The NHS is watching with interest at this ground-breaking venture and recognises that there could be benchmarks set for NHS buildings of the future."

The plan is to create a new 'healthy' building with 21 cots using sustainable materials and low toxicity levels in construction and cleaning materials.

The NICU cares for one in 10 babies born in the RUH catchment area of 500,000 people.

RUH deputy chief executive Brigid Musselwhite said: "The creation of a new NICU is giving the RUH a wonderful opportunity to look at the type of unit it wants for the future – caring responsibly for generations of new lives.

"Environmentally, the construction method and fabric for the building have been given substantial consideration, not only to reduce our carbon footprint, but also to provide a greatly improved NICU which will benefit the health and wellbeing of our premature and sick babies and their families".

The appeal will now be raising the last £1.5 million from a range of sources including individual donations, corporate supporters, and public events.

Mr Hobbs said: "The local communities in the wide area served by the RUH have been wonderful in supporting the 'space to grow' campaign so far and we are nearly there. However, the race is now on and we are very dependent on the public's continued support to help complete the last part of the fundraising target on time."