Vulnerable babies are benefitting from new equipment that could help save their lives, following a donation by a leading businessman and his wife.

Garreth Wood, managing director of pub and restaurant chain The Speratus Group, and Nicola, a former Miss Scotland, have contributed £250,000 towards the cost of implementing Scotland’s first HeRO (Heart Rate Observation) system.

The equipment, which is the first of its kind in Scotland, has been installed in Wishaw General Hospital and monitors the heart rate of premature and sick babies. It provides early warning of irregularities that could indicate the development of infection – a leading cause of death in vulnerable babies.

The couple made the donation in memory of their triplet daughters, who lost their lives shortly after being born prematurely at Wishaw General Hospital in 2013. The girls, Asha, Oren and Willow, were born at 24 weeks. Asha and Willow developed infections while Oren died after an operation.

Nicola said: “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.”

Garreth added: “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.”

The HeRO equipment will monitor all 28 cots in Wishaw General Hospital’s neonatal unit, including 12 intensive care beds. Independent research suggests that the system can reduce death rates in premature babies by 20%.

NHS Lanarkshire has contributed almost £327,000 towards the cost of installing and operating the system with a further £92,000 coming from the health board’s general charitable funds.

Clinical staff within the neonatal unit have received specialist training in the system, also with support from Garreth and Nicola. The couple have donated £35,000 to fund extra training for clinical staff at the neonatal unit since the birth of their eldest daughter Ezra in 2010.

Ezra, who is four years old, was also born prematurely and spent four weeks in the care of Wishaw Hospital’s neonatal unit, including two weeks in its intensive care unit.

The couple’s support has also enabled the neonatal unit to acquire a high flow specialist breathing apparatus to help vulnerable babies with respiratory distress.

Dr Samuel Ibhanesebhor, Consultant Neonatologist and Clinical Director at Wishaw General Hospital thanked the couple for their contribution and close relationship with the neonatal unit at Wishaw.

Dr Sam 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.”