Legendary star Barbara Windsor MBE has opened a brand new extension to Southmead Hospital’s Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which has been funded in part by over £200,000 in donations.

Two new baby care rooms for up to 16 infants are being unveiled, along with a suite of new family rooms, allowing parents to stay overnight, or have a quiet place to be with their baby.

The extension to the unit has been completed thanks to over £220,000 in donations from the general public and an investment by the North Bristol NHS trust. It follows the successful ‘Tiny lives’ fundraising campaign at the hospital which raised over £1million for the unit in 2007.

Barbara, who is appearing in pantomime at the Bristol Hippodrome from the 11th of December also met with staff and new mums and dads, and saw the work of the unit.

North Bristol NHS Trust Chief Executive Ruth Brunt said, “We’re delighted to welcome Barbara to open the newly extended NICU. Thanks to donations from local people and an investment by the Trust, we are able to provide even greater levels of care to our special care babies. We now have all of our NICU team under one roof, new offices for our staff and the family rooms will provide mums, dads and babies with even greater privacy.”

Barbara said, “I am so thrilled to be able to open the new wing of the special care baby unit at Southmead hospital. I know that many mums, dads and babies will really benefit from these new rooms. This is a time in their lives when they need all the help they can get and these facilities will make a big difference.”

We are so grateful for all the donations we receive and this new wing would not have been possible without local support. We are still raising funds for the unit and anyone wishing to make a donation can send a cheque for ‘Southmead NICU’ to the Fundraising office, Christopher Hancock building, Southmead hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB.