The nursery at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon is offering 30 hours of free childcare a week to parents who work on the site, from hospital porters to consultants, any working varied shifts.
Swindon Borough Council has also launched a partnership with Nationwide to offer 150 childcare places at the Swindon-based head office.
The early years minister met parents, nursery managers and childminders in Swindon taking part in the Early Implementer trial, one of eight local authorities which started offering the 30 hours to parents a year early ahead of the national rollout from September 2017.
Minister for childcare and early years Caroline Dinenage said, ‘I’m thrilled to have seen for myself the support available to hardworking nurses, doctors and hospital staff in Swindon. ‘To know that your child is being cared for nearby by dedicated people really makes such a difference to parents’ peace of mind, especially those working in high-pressure jobs where shift patterns can vary from week to week.
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