The cash injection has been made possible by a year on year funding increase from the North West Specialised Commissioning Group which has agreed to provide two additional intensive care cots.

It will also fund the nursing and medical staff to care for the extra admissions at Royal Preston Hospital. The trust currently has five intensive care cots.

The extra investment will boost intensive care provision for newborn and sickly babies within Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Sarah Hardacre, 20, of Fulwood, Preston, knows only too well how vital the neonatal unit is.

Sarah, who works as a chef at Fulwood barracks, gave birth to Katie Faye Fraser when she was 23 weeks pregnant and the tiny tot weighed just 1lb 3oz.

Sarah, who lives with partner Scott Fraser, said: "I just went into spontaneous labour and started having contractions and bleeding. There was no reason for it.

"I went into Royal Preston Hospital and they found I was 6cm dilated. Five days later, I gave birth, even though I wasn't due until April 26."

Baby Katie has been looked after in the neonatal's intensive care ever since and is now doing well and weighs 3lb 5oz. She is on a ventilator and recently underwent heart surgery at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool which was successful in repairing a hole in her heart.

Sarah Slade, 35, of Longton, gave birth to twins Frederick and Jessica when she was 25 weeks pregnant. Sarah, who is married to Oliver, said: "It was terrifying as we got told that if I gave birth at 24 weeks, the babies had a 15% chance of survival and if I went to 26 weeks, they had a 50% chance of survival and I gave birth at 25 weeks."

At first, the babies were doing really well, but their health suddenly nosedived and their parents have been through a rollercoaster of emotions.

Sarah said: "Frederick was found to have a heart defect, then his kidneys packed in and he became ill with infections. It was touch and go for a while.

"Jessica also became ill with infections and had to be transferred to St Mary's Hospital in Manchester for six weeks."

A few weeks ago when doctors at St Mary's told them they feared their daughter would not survive the night, she was brought back to Preston so they could all be together but her condition improved.

Sarah said: "We have been in the neonatal unit for 122 days and have been through a lot of stress.

"But all the staff in the unit are fantastic and look after the whole family, not just the babies."

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