Neonatal Care Pay and Leave

The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 is a significant piece of new legislation in the UK, due to come into effect on 6 April 2025, aimed at supporting parents whose newborns require neonatal care. 

Eligible parents can take up to 12 weeks of leave if their baby is admitted to neonatal care for more than seven continuous days within the first 28 days of life. 

This provides: A day one right to leave (one weeks leave for every full week the baby is in neonatal care, up to 12 weeks), meaning they colleagues access it from their first day of employment (this applies only to leave rather than pay). 

Colleagues with over 26 weeks service on the date of the baby’s birth are entitled to a statutory rate of £187.18 per week. This leave is in addition to existing maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlements. 

A schools model policy will be provided on the intranet by 6 April 2025.