Your baby in the Nurseries

We aim to give the very best standard of care to you and your baby. We have a permanent team of highly trained and experienced staff who understand how stressful it is to be sep arated from your baby. We are happy to talk to you about progress and changes in care and treatment whenever you visit or telephone. As we are a Teaching Hospital we also have nurses and doctors who are undertaking specialist courses. Most of these are fully qualified practitioners who are gaining additional qualifications.  Trainees are always supervised by a Senior.

Your baby will be cared for in one of three main nurseries, depending on his/her individual level of dependence on the neonatal staff. These are called “Intensive Care” (ITU), “High Dependency” (HDU), or “Low Dependency”, (LDU).

Your baby will progress through these nurseries as his/her condition changes.

For each shift the names of the neonatal staff allocated to your baby’s nursery are displayed on the white board behind the nurses station (opposite ITU). The names of the Nurse-in-Charge of the shift, and Doctors “on call” are also displayed. The Unit is staffed 24 hours a day by neonatal nurses and doctors, and there will always be someone very nearby (within hearing distance at the very least). The geography of our building requires staff to step out of the nursery for many reasons, for example to prepare feeds, check medication, and answer telephones.  We expect staff to inform you if they are leaving the nursery. Please try not to be worried if there is no one in the Nursery when you arrive. There is an emergency bell in each nursery for staff and parents, and you will be shown the location of this.  Please ask if you have not been shown.

Our Unit Nurse Manager (Jill Hodgkinson) and Parent Support Co-Ordinator (Pauline Woods) are both here Monday to Friday to help with any queries and we welcome questions and constructive comments.