MPs approve paid neonatal leave to provide ‘support and reassurance’ for parents

MPs have approved the introduction of paid neonatal leave to provide “support, reassurance and stability” to parents of sick and premature babies.

The statutory instrument will provide parents a day-one right to one week of neonatal leave and pay for each continuous week of neonatal care their baby receives up to a maximum of 12 weeks.

It will take effect from April 6 2025 and leave can be taken on top of any other leave parents may be entitled to, including maternity and paternity leave.

Business minister Justin Madders said the change will “make a real difference to hard working families who need the support at such a critical time”.

He said: “Those first few weeks when a new baby is born are precious, and for a child in neonatal care, the importance of the time is even more so.

“Of course, we have heard the lack of options for those parents who find themselves in that truly challenging situation serves only to worsen what is for many parents the most traumatic period of their lives.

“But by giving parents the additional rights and flexibility they need through these regulations, we hope that this will provide some much needed support, reassurance and stability.

“Parents dealing with a very new newborn should not have to worry about whether they can get the time off work that they need, or indeed, whether they have a job to go back to at all.

“I think as a nation, we can all understand that.”

Mr Madders also said the 12 week cap on payments “balances the needs of businesses with the needs of parents”.

Shadow business minister Greg Smith said introducing neonatal leave was in the Conservatives 2019 manifesto, adding “that is no surprise, just like all the good ideas (Labour) have, it usually turns out they were ours”.

Mr Smith said his party will support the instrument “so that we can continue to build on the sensible improvements to workers rights we, as Conservatives, introduced in government”.

The move was also supported by the Liberal Democrats with MP Steve Darling saying they “truly welcome this because it actually drives that strong attachment between parents and their babies that can only bear fruit for our communities across the United Kingdom”.

Labour MP for Thurrock Jen Craft called on the Government to go further, raising the case of her constituent Ashley Wiseman, who founded the charity Isla’s Journey after her daughter Isla was born premature at 24 weeks weighing just 655g.

Ms Craft said: “Ashley described what I imagine we will all find impossible to imagine, the long stays on the ward, some of her darkest days, and Isla given just a 2% chance of survival.”

She added: “As Ashley and other parents will attest to, there is still more to be done.

“Isla’s Journey, for example, is advocating for a travel support fund for parents, because when a child is admitted to a neonatal ward miles from home, parents have to make long and costly journeys to spend time with their baby.

“And while these new regulations will take away the compounding financial burden of a loss of income, the travel still comes at a significant cost, and unless they are an inpatient mothers and other parents are not provided with the basic amenities on the ward, such as a meal.”

Mr Madders said: “Of course, I will meet with Isla’s Journey. I will, however, talk to my colleagues in the department of health and social care whether it might be more appropriate for them to conduct that meeting. But I will certainly pass that request on.”