Nottingham University Hospitals is increasing the number of neonatal cots at the Queens Medical Centre.
The trust, which runs the hospital, said that from April 2019 to April 2020, it could not accommodate 116 babies, which had to be transferred to other units, including some not in the East Midlands.
The number of cots will increase from 17 to 38.
This meant families ended up travelling to hospitals in Burnley, Luton, Scunthorpe, Bradford and Birmingham.
Councillors sitting on the Nottingham City Council health scrutiny committee on Thursday, 11 November supported the plans.
Lucy Dadge, chief commissioning officer for NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG, prepared a written report for the meeting.
She said: “The neonatal unit at the QMC usually operates at a level that is on average greater than 95 per cent occupancy. far exceeding the 80 per cent average occupancy prescribed.
“The neonatal service is small numerically in terms of patients, but is regionally commissioned, and the current capacity shortfalls have significant long-term detrimental impacts on the babies, not just in the immediate period of care, but also going forward into childhood and indeed full maturity.
“This is a major quality improvement for a small number of pre-term babies and their families.
“The expansion of neonatal intensive care cots at QMC campus will reduce significantly the number of babies needing to be transferred to other hospitals, and the realignment of neonatal care between City and QMC will provide better resources – numbers of staff, expertise, equipment and physical space – for those patients.
“By way of context the total births at NUH per annum is circa 8,500, albeit that this key clinical development will only apply to approximately 250 babies.
“The benefits to these families are significant but numerically this development represents an adjustment to a clinical pathway rather than a major service redesign.”
The new cots are set to be in place by 2023, with the money coming from NHS capital funds.
