In 2019 the UK Government committed to introducing Neonatal leave and pay for parents whilst their baby is in Neonatal care. The 2020 budget included a Neonatal leave and pay entitlement of around £160 per week for up to 12 weeks. This entitlement was discussed in The House of Commons on the 5th October for approximately 25 minutes before it was adjourned with a reassurance that further details on employment framework reforms would be published in due.

Despite all of these promises this entitlement was missing from the Queen's  speech yesterday.

Having a non text book pregnancy or birth is not a privilege and having to sacrifice maternity leave to sit in room watching your child fight for their life is not right. Believe me, I have experienced it first hand, my now 6 year old twins were born 3 months and 1 day early.  3 months of my maternity leave had passed before my children were able to join me at home.  You don't bond with your child whilst they are so fragile, you are scared to touch them, scared to may dislodge something currently keeping them alive. The all important skin to skin can only be only tiny periods of time due to body temperature drops. This entitlement will give much needed time to the parents of the 60,000 premature babies born each year. This provision is not supported by the masses because it doesn't affect the masses. It is not a priority as until you need it, do you find out its not there. 

This entitlement will not help those parents who have previously had a child in in special care but it will make a world of difference to those who do. Please support my petition to re-instate this entitlement.