Evidence shows better outcomes for babies when their mums and dads are involved in providing hands-on care while they are in hospital.

Yet every year thousands of parents have to return to work when their baby is still critically ill.

Babies on the neonatal unit need their parents by their side to care for them while they are in hospital and when they are home.

But existing maternity and paternity leave entitlements are inadequate for parents whose baby needs specialist care.

We want parents to be better supported to stay fully involved in the care of their baby.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has recently conducted a review of the support offered to working parents when their baby is born needing neonatal care, and we will share the outcome of this review with you when it is released.

Why have we taken action?

Having a baby in neonatal care has a huge impact on family finances, costing on average an additional £2,256 per family. Extra costs include travel costs, overnight accommodation to stay close to their baby, expensive hospital food and loss of earnings.

If parents want to take extra time after their initial parental leave, they usually only have the option to take this time off without pay, but most cannot afford to take unpaid leave at a time when finances are already stretched due to having a baby on the unit.

Over 3,000 of your emailed your MP asking them to make sure the Government's review would allow parents more paid leave to be with their baby.

We're expecting to hear the outcome of this review soon.