Premier Gladys Berejiklian opened the last stage of the $25 million, three-year project on Friday, touring 10 new intensive care beds which will start accepting patients in June.

The NICU opened 32 new special care spaces in 2016 along with a palliative care room, showers, a breast feeding or expressing room, new waiting area, three counselling rooms and a family room with overnight accommodation.

The first instalment of the $18 million stage two, 12 intensive care spaces, opened in March this year.

The unit cares for more than 1100 premature and sick newborns each year and is one of the largest neonatal units in NSW.

“It’s been amazing to see the new unit working and to see families actually using the facilities,” Ms Berejiklian said after meeting parents and staff at the NICU.

“It’s wonderful to see how the centre is making a difference already.”

The unit includes a webcam system, dubbed NICView, on moveable arms attached to each crib to allow families to check in on their babies 24 hours a day.

The cameras were installed last year after the hospital’s Kid’s Club successfully applied for a $186,000 grant from the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation.

“This world-class facility, which is now twice the size, will enable our wonderful NICU staff to continue to care for the region’s youngest patients well into the future,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“The NICU expansion is part of a NSW government commitment of more than $7.7 billion over four years towards upgrading and building new hospitals and health services across the state.”