'Long overdue' | New neonatal care leave and pay: a lifeline for parents with babies in hospital

Thousands of working families in the UK will soon benefit from a significant new employment right: the ability to take neonatal care leave from day one of their job. The government has confirmed that from 6 April 2025, parents of babies requiring neonatal care will be entitled to up to 12 weeks of additional leave (and pay if eligible), ensuring they can remain by their child’s side without financial distress.

Currently, many parents of sick or premature babies face an impossible dilemma - returning to work while their newborn is in hospital or using up their existing leave. The new measure, following the passing of the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act in 2023, aims to change this. It applies to parents of babies admitted to neonatal care within their first 28 days of life and who require at least a seven-day hospital stay. The entitlement, a key part of the government’s broader employment rights reforms, will be a day one right, available to employees from their first day in a new job.

Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders underscored the significance of the new entitlement: “Parents of children in neonatal care have more than enough to worry about without being concerned about how much annual leave they have left or whether they’ll be able to make ends meet. This entitlement will deliver certainty to them and their employers, setting baseline protections that give them the peace of mind to look after the one thing that matters most – their newborn baby.”

A long-awaited change for parents

The introduction of neonatal care leave has been welcomed by campaigners who have long fought for better support for families in these situations. Catriona Ogilvy, Founder of The Smallest Things, a charity that advocates for neonatal families, described the move as a milestone: “The stress and trauma experienced by families during a neonatal stay cannot be underestimated. In an instant, their world is turned upside down. No parent or carer should be sitting beside an incubator worrying about pay or work. This much-needed additional leave and pay means parents and carers can be with their baby or babies in hospital.”