There is an increasing demand for the specialist care, treatment and surgery provided by the medical team in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Michael’s Hospital.

The Unit is the only one of its kind in the South West region able to provide surgery for the most serious and complex conditions in premature and critically-ill babies.

As more and more babies are surviving and care for babies born as early as 23 weeks becomes possible, the Unit is experiencing unprecedented demand for the specialist cots and equipment needed for life-saving care.

The Cots for Tots Appeal needs to raise £1 million to support the expansion of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit by providing a Suite of 4 intensive care cots and associated state of the art equipment. The Appeal will also be supporting the provision of a Family Accommodation Suite for parents to stay close to their baby whilst on the Unit.

Through its links with the Bristol Children’s Hospital, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Michael’s Hospital is able to offer a unique, combined medical service. The Unit’s proximity to the specialist surgery theatres and paediatric intensive care ward at the children’s hospital means that extra-specialist care can be provided for babies with the most serious and complex medcal problems including cardiac, surgery, ventilation and hormonal conditions.

This makes it the only ‘Quaternary Unit’ in the South West region equipped to provide this level of treatment, and as result any baby born in Bristol, the South West or South Wales requiring life-saving surgery is automatically referred to the NICU.

We hope you will give generously to support The Cots for Tots Appeal.

Thank you.

Together, The Cots for Tots Appeal and Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal are part of the same fundraising family, raising funds exclusively for the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol.

We are fortunate to have a very special relationship with Nick Park, the creator of Wallace and Gromit, and the whole team at Aardman in Bristol.  Nick has created the exclusive new identity of the younger Gromit to spearhead the fundraising for The Cots for Tots Appeal.  Our thanks to everyone at Aardman for their long-standing and generous support.