This new right came into effect from 6 April 2025 and provides up to 12 additional weeks of leave (and pay, if eligible) for parents whose baby is admitted into neonatal care.

Types of care that qualify

Care does not need to take place in a neonatal unit to be considered eligible. If the baby begins receiving qualifying care before reaching 28 days old and the care lasts for at least seven continuous days, the leave entitlement applies. Neonatal care includes medical treatment in a hospital, consultant-led care at home following discharge, scheduled monitoring or healthcare visits arranged by the hospital and palliative or end-of-life care.

Eligibility for parents
The right to neonatal care leave is available to parents who have either shared or sole responsibility for the child. This includes birth mothers and fathers, spouses, civil partners, or partners of the birth parent (including same-sex partners), adoptive parents, including foster-to-adopt arrangements, intended parents through surrogacy. Each eligible parent has their own entitlement, even if both parents are employed by the same organisation.

Leave duration and accrual
Parents may take between one and 12 weeks of neonatal care leave, based on how long the baby remains in care. One week of leave is granted for each full week the baby is in neonatal care, calculated in arrears once the qualifying period is met.

The new leave is available in addition to existing parental entitlements, such as maternity, paternity and shared parental leave. Eligible employees will qualify for this leave from day one of employment.

The introduction of neonatal care leave recognises the significant emotional and practical challenges faced by parents of premature or unwell babies and aims to ease financial and work-related pressures during this difficult period.

Members should ensure they are aware of this change and take steps to update their internal policies and payroll systems where necessary.

More information

Download ACCA's suite of employment factsheets