Gethin Jones sprinkles some Christmas stardust on St George’s Hospital neonatal unit
ITV’s Daybreak made St George’s Hospital’s neonatal unit the centre of the nation’s attention this morning as Gethin Jones hosted a live feature about the families and staff who will be spending the festive season on the unit.
The neonatal unit cares for over 600 new-born babies each year, with up to 39 babies on the unit at any one time. The unit provides care for newborn babies from across south east England requiring specialist treatment, including premature and low-birth weight babies and those needing surgery.
Christmas can be a tough time for the families, and the unit do all they can with the hospital’s neonatal charity, First Touch, to bring a bit of Christmas cheer to the unit, including special Christmas stockings full of presents on every cot.
Gethin Jones said, “It was an absolute privilege to meet the amazing staff, families, and of course the incredibly brave children on the neonatal unit at St George’s Hospital.
“The work they do here is so so important – life changing in fact. I’m really pleased we were able to give the unit the recognition it deserves by reporting on it with Daybreak.
“I’d like to wish everyone on the unit a healthy and very special Christmas.”
Gethin Jones with baby Hugh Hunter and mum Louise Hunter
Gethin Jones with baby Cassiana Pereira and dad Martin Stopher
Notes to editors
- High resolution photos are available on request.
- The neonatal unit provides care for newborn babies requiring specialist treatment, including premature and low-birth weight babies and those needing surgery. The unit provides a full range of specialist intensive care not available at other hospitals and, therefore, takes babies from a wide geographical area as well as looking after babies born locally. The unit is the lead centre for South West London Neonatal Network which comprises Kingston, Croydon University, Epsom and St Helier Hospitals, and takes babies requiring specialist care from these hospitals. It is also a regional centre and referrals are made from across South East England.
- First Touch charity was established in 1998, with the aim of directly supporting the neonatal unit at St George’s Hospital in terms of our special patients, their families and staff. Find out more about First Touch and how to donate at www.first-touch.org.uk
For more information and for high resolution photography, please contact the Communications Unit on 020 8725 5151 or email: communications@stgeorges.nhs.uk. Outside working hours, please page us by calling 0844 822 2888, leaving a short message and contact details for pager SG548. High res photos available on request.
