TB2012.35
Trust Board Meeting : Thursday 3 May 2012
TB2012.35
Title
Full Business Case for the Expansion of Neonatal Facilities
Status
A paper for decision
History
The Full Business Case has been discussed and agreed by
the Women’s and Children’s Divisional Executive
(28.3.2012) and the Strategic Planning Committee
(12.4.12).
Board Lead(s)
Mr Paul Brennan, Director of Clinical Services
Key purpose
Strategy
TB2012.35_Expansion of Neonatal Facilities
Assurance
Policy
Performance
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Oxford University Hospitals
TB2012.35
Summary
This full business case seeks Trust Board approval to invest £3.079m capital in an
extension to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the John Radcliffe Hospital. This
expansion will effectively double the number of NICU cots to a total of 20 and increase
the overall size of the unit from 41 to 53 cots with 3 additional SCBU/HDU cots. The JR
NICU is the designated Newborn Intensive Care Unit for the Thames Valley region. £2.8
million funding is available from the Strategic Health Authority for this development.
Introduction
The current NICU cannot accommodate the increasing demand across Thames Valley
(from both birth rate increase and increasing incidence and survival rates from
premature births). The expansion will address this and allow for the repatriation of NICU
activity currently going outside of the Network and into London.
The revenue costs of the Unit would increase from the current level of £12.4m to 16.7m
(£4.3m) when all the cots are open with a small increase in the positive contribution
(surplus).The increased income comes from South Central Specialist Commissioners,
whom together with the South Central Neonatal Network, have given their support for
the case.
The expansion provides enough cots to meet predicted Network demand, including all
babies of less than 27 weeks gestation and repatriated babies from outside the Network,
and allow for limited further expansion of activity, Without this expansion this demand
will be unmet and babies will be offered care outside the network, or not at all (given
shortfalls in capacity in other areas).
In March 2012, a £2.8m capital windfall was received from the Department of Health via
NHS South of England to support this development. This was used to fund equipment and
enabling works required to progress this development.
Additional parental accommodation has been included following discussion at the Trust
Management Executive during the approval of the Outline Business Case.
The Trust Board is asked to note a capital expenditure pre-commitment, provisionally
assessed at £350k plus VAT. This is required to ensure commencement on site in early
June 2012. This will fund, for example, removal of trees within the site area prior to the
nesting season, removal of hazardous materials from the site area and ordering of long
lead-in time materials.
NHS South Central has confirmed their approval of the full business case as attached.
Recommendation:
The Trust Board is asked to approve the attached full business case for the development
of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit facility.
Paul Brennan
Director of Clinical Services
TB2012.35_Expansion of Neonatal Facilities
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