Parents receiving essential support at Royal Cornwall Hospital are benefiting from packs of premature baby clothes this winter.  

Tesco has donated packs of F&F premature baby essentials to the hospital’s neonatal unit. Each pack contains sleepsuits, bodysuits, hats and scratch mitts. The Salvation Army is partnering with Tesco to help deliver the clothing.   

Jan Marchant, managing director for Tesco’s Home & Clothing, said: “Premature babies are often unexpected, and it can be difficult to find clothing items to fit at such short notice. We want to provide practical help to mums and dads at the Royal Cornwall Hospital during a stressful time, and help give the babies a stronger start in life.”  

According to data from the Office for National Statistics, on average up to 10 per cent of babies are born prematurely in England and Wales. With 23,000 packs of F&F premature naby rssentials being given to 157 neonatal units across the country, this means that at least half of these babies will receive F&F essentials.  

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “These clothing packs could make a huge difference to tens of thousands of babies and their families, and we are extremely grateful to Tesco and the Salvation Army for making this possible.”