The New Neonatal Care (Leave & Pay) Act 2023 is Due this April

We have often said that our Neonatal products are built with not only clinicians but parents in mind, with the upcoming UK regulation changes coming into force on April 6th we wanted to breakdown what the new law means for parents.

Starting April 6th, 2025, the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 will be officially in effect bringing important changes to UK parental leave rights. The legislation is designed to support parents whose newborns need neonatal care. Here’s a breakdown of what this means for families.

What Does The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 mean for me?

Eligibility

The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 states that if a baby is born on or after April 6, 2025, and needs neonatal care within 28 days of birth for at least 7 consecutive days, parents will be eligible for this leave.

Parents can take one week of leave for each week a baby spends in neonatal care, up to a maximum of 12 weeks.

Understanding the Leave Structure

This leave cannot be taken during the first week of neonatal care, as brand-new parents will likely be on maternity or paternity leave during this time.

Tier 1 Leave

This leave is for when the baby is receiving neonatal care or the week it ends. No advance notice is needed—just let your employer know by the start of the workday each week.

Tier 2 Leave

This leave can be taken later, with 15 days’ notice for one week of leave or 28 days’ notice for two or more weeks. These weeks must be consecutive and taken within 68 weeks of the birth.

The parent who gave birth will be on maternity leave, which can’t be paused and restarted. So, neonatal leave will usually be taken later to make up for time spent in neonatal care. Fathers, partners, or secondary adopters are more likely to take Tier 1 leave during the neonatal care period, especially if their paternity leave has run out.

Pay Entitlement

Employees are also entitled to be paid for this leave, but the conditions vary. The right to take neonatal care leave is a ‘day one’ entitlement, meaning employees qualify from the start of their employment. However, to receive statutory pay for this leave, they must have completed 26 weeks of service with their employer. The pay rate is either the statutory rate or 90% of their usual earnings, whichever is lower.

Benefits for Parents

The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 offers several great benefits for parents.

How System C supports parents throughout their child’s Neonatal stay

Via both BadgerNet Neonatal Summary and Neonatal EPR, parents have access to the integrated Baby Diary app. Baby Diary enables clinicians to upload pictures, videos, and notes for parents to view throughout the day, regardless of location. This feature is built with the reduction of anxiety in mind. System C Baby Diary aims to enhance family experience by keeping them involved and connected to their child. Additionally, if the trust has BadgerNet Maternity parents can access the Baby Diary within Badger Notes, further improving family experience.

Next Steps

The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 is a big step forward in supporting families during challenging times. By providing flexible leave options and financial support, the government aims to ensure that parents can be with their newborns during critical periods without financial strain.

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