Starting from 6 April 2025, the UK will implement the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023, introducing significant support for parents of newborns requiring extended hospital care. This legislation provides eligible parents with up to 12 weeks of neonatal care leave and pay.

​This Act aims to alleviate the emotional and financial burdens on parents during challenging times, allowing them to focus on their newborn’s health without the added stress of work obligations.

Parents of babies born on or after 6 April 2025 who are admitted to neonatal care within the first 28 days of their life and who have a continuous hospital stay of at least seven full days are eligible. Neonatal care includes specialised medical attention for newborns born prematurely, or with health complications.

The right to neonatal leave is applicable from day one of employment. Eligible parents can take up to twelve weeks of neonatal care leave per affected child. This leave is in addition to other parental leave rights, such as maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave. Leave taken while the baby receives care, or within one week after discharge from hospital, can be split into non-continuous blocks with a minimum duration of one week each. After this, any remaining leave which doesn’t fall into this category must be taken as a single, continuous block.

Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (SNCP) is available to employees who have at least 26 weeks of continuous service with their employer and who meet minimum earnings criteria. As of April 2025, the SNCP rate will be £187.18 per week (or 90% of the employee’s earnings, if lower).

Employers should prepare for the implementation of this Act by:

• Establishing or updating workplace policies to include neonatal care leave and pay provisions, ensuring clarity on eligibility, notice requirements, and leave duration;
• Considering whether they wish to offer enhanced payments, or statutory payments only;
• Setting up systems to manage leave requests, to track leave periods, and to process SNCP payments efficiently; and
• Informing staff about their rights under the new legislation and providing guidance on how to apply for neonatal care leave and pay.

The introduction of neonatal care leave and pay marks a significant advancement in supporting working families in the UK, reflecting a commitment to the well-being of both parents and children during critical early life stages.

We will be updating our clients Employee Handbooks to contain a Neonatal Leave policy over the next few months. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of our HR Advisors by emailing hr@perspectivehr.co.uk or by phoning 01392 247436.