New neonatal care law now in force

The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 came into force on 6 April 2025. This law provides a new leave and pay entitlement for parents with a baby in neonatal care.

Depending on how long their baby is in neonatal care, parents will now have the right to have up to 12 weeks leave and pay. This right is in addition to other time off and pay.

Who is the leave and pay available to?

The time off is available to the birth parent, father or partner, spouse, civil partner or adoptive parent.

When can the leave be taken?

A parent with a baby up to 28 days old that is admitted to neonatal care is eligible for up to 12 weeks leave. The leave must be taken within 68 weeks of the baby’s birth.

How do parents need to inform their employer?

Parents can self-declare and should contact their workplace HR representative to go through the specifics of their personal situation.

Acas has provided some helpful guidance on the new law, which can be found here - https://www.acas.org.uk/neonatal-care-leave-and-pay.

Dan Ellis, Acas Interim Chief Executive, said: “Becoming new parents can be an incredibly stressful time, especially if their baby requires care in hospital for a while. Any employee that requires time off to help care for their child in these circumstances should be treated with compassion and understanding. Our advice provides employers and managers with guidance on how they can support staff members who need to take neonatal care leave.”

See: https://www.acas.org.uk/acas-publishes-new-guidance-on-neonatal-care-leave