Neonatal Care Pay Calculator
Leave and pay when your baby needs neonatal care.
Your details
Care must start within 28 days of birth and last 7 days or more.
Neonatal care leave
3 weeks
Statutory pay of about £583 in total
- Full weeks of care
- 3
- Leave (maximum 12 weeks)
- 3 weeks
- Statutory neonatal care pay / week
- £194.32
- Total pay
- £583
Statutory rate £194.32 a week or 90% of earnings if lower (2026/27). The leave is added to your other family leave. Your trust may pay more.
How it is worked out
- 1If your baby is in neonatal care for 7 days or more in their first 28 days, you can take one extra week of leave for each week of care, up to 12 weeks.
- 2This leave is on top of maternity, paternity or shared parental leave.
- 3With 26 weeks' service and earnings above the lower limit, you get statutory neonatal care pay for those weeks.
Worth knowing
- The right to the leave starts from day one of employment. Only the pay needs 26 weeks' service.
- Some NHS employers pay more than the statutory rate. Check your trust's policy.
Common questions
Is NHS neonatal care leave paid at full pay?+
The national NHS terms follow the statutory scheme, so the default is statutory neonatal care pay. Some trusts choose to pay more.
Sources
The rules and figures behind this calculator come from:
- GOV.UK: Neonatal Care Pay and Leave
- NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook: Section 15, leave and pay for new parents
Results are estimates for Agenda for Change staff in England using 2026/27 figures. They are not financial advice. Your payslip, employer or NHS Pensions statement has the final word.
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