Sir Ian Wood's Son Donates £250,000 To Care For Premature Babies

The son of oil tycoon Sir Ian Wood, who lost his triplet daughters after a premature birth, has donated £250,000 towards a ground-breaking monitor that could help save the lives of other vulnerable newborns.

Garreth Wood and his wife Nicola's daughters Asha, Oren and Willow were born at just 24 weeks in Wishaw Hospital in 2013.

Shortly after the premature births, Asha and Willow developed infections while Oren died after an operation.

The couple have now donated towards the cost of Scotland's first HeRO (Heart Rate Observation) system which monitors the heart rate of premature and sick babies and can provide early warning of irregularities that could indicate the development of infection.

It will monitor all 28 cots in Wishaw General Hospital's neonatal unit, including 12 intensive care beds. Research has suggested that the system can reduce death rates in premature babies by 20%.

The couple's eldest daughter, Ezra, was also born prematurely at the hospital in 2010 and spent four weeks in the neonatal unit, including two weeks in intensive care.

Mr Wood, who is managing director of pub and restaurant chain The Speratus Group, said: "As we watched our daughters' health decline we felt totally helpless.

"Knowing that the HeRO equipment will help other families and hopefully improve survival rates among vulnerable newborns has been a great source of comfort to us.''

Mrs Wood added: "Giving vulnerable babies a fighting chance is very important to us after the loss of our daughters Asha, Oren and Willow. The staff at Wishaw provided excellent care but our daughters were too weak to pull through.

"Having the HeRO system in place will enable clinical staff to intervene before babies deteriorate and become too sick to respond to treatment. In the case of infection, providing treatment at an earlier stage could be the difference between life or death.''

NHS Lanarkshire has contributed almost £327,000 towards the cost of installing

and operating the HeRO system with a further £92,000 coming from the health board's general charitable funds.

The Woods have also donated £35,000 towards training for clinical staff at the neonatal unit.

Dr Samuel Ibhanesebhor, consultant neonatologist and clinical director at Wishaw General Hospital, thanked the couple for their contribution.

He said: "We welcome Garreth and Nicola's very generous gift and also wish to thank them for the support they have provided to the unit over the past few years.

"While more babies are surviving premature births than ever before, there is no doubt that the earlier a baby is born, the greater the risk to their health.Receiving early warning that a baby is at risk of falling ill will enable clinical staff to act at an early stage.

"Providing safe and effective care is our top priority and with our already strong emphasis on prevention of infection, we believe that the HeRO system will help us further in the fight against neonatal infection and save lives.''

Earlier this month, Ian Wood's charity pledged £10 million to NHS Grampian to build a multi-storey car park to provide better access for patients and visitors at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.