Trust offers extra maternity leave for certain staff
September 14, 2018
Featured in the Birmingham Mail
on Thursday 13 September
For the first time in the Midlands, a health trust is allowing parents of premature babies extra time off.
Often, a parent whose baby is born prematurely can end up spending a large part of their precious maternity or paternity leave in hospital.
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust has pledged to sign up to The Smallest Things ‘Employer with Heart’ Charter – which means that mums and dads will receive full pay until the point that their maternity or paternity leave was due to start.
Current NHS terms and conditions afford new mums whose baby has been born prematurely to split their maternity leave, allowing them to take two weeks leave immediately after childbirth, and the rest following their baby’s discharge from hospital.
Catriona Ogilvy, founder and chair of The Smallest Things charity, says that the move will help parents going through traumatic and stressful times.
She said: “We’re delighted that Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust has recognised the unique needs of families of premature babies and is signing up to our Employer with Heart charter.
“Giving birth prematurely and spending time on a neonatal unit for weeks, sometimes months, is terrifying and traumatic for parents.
“The last thing they should be worrying about is work and whether they can afford to spend time at the incubator or cot of their fragile baby.”
Paula Gardner, Chief Nurse, said: “We are pleased to become the first Trust in the West Midlands to offer this commitment to parents.
“Our staff are dedicated to their jobs and work hard to ensure their patients receive high quality care, so we believe that we should return that sentiment by looking after them when they need our help in their personal lives.
“By signing up to this charter, it means that we will be able to help new mums and dads who are facing a difficult and worrying time after experiencing premature labour.”
Read the full article here.