Cutting the ribbon for better care for premature babies

A new Special Care Unit has been opened at Yeovil District Hospital to look after premature babies. It is twice the size of the old ward and can accommodate up to eight newborns.

It was built with the help of of a charity fundraising appeal which received more than £600,000 in donations.

Parents were involved in the design and there is now a dedicated family room, more privacy for patients and larger, individual bays.

Among those who helped with fundraising were Sam Marshalsea-Langford and her husband Josh, whose twin girls Mya and Anna were cared for here in the first four weeks of their lives. They had the honour of cutting the ribbon to officially open the new unit.

There aren't any babies at the new ward yet - they are being cared for at a temporary unit and will be transferred across next week.

One of the first arrivals will be Tommy, who was born prematurely on Wednesday, 1 June, and needs the extra care that the unit provides.