Baby Safety & Security
Baby safety and security on The Kingston Hospital Neonatal Unit
Baby Safety
Please respect the enormous efforts we make to protect all babies. NEVER allow people to enter the unit when we open the door to you unless you know who they are. Staff wearing a visible Kingston Hospital photo ID badge can be allowed through.
Parents
Parents You can wait in the parents sitting room, but please do not wait at the nurses station as we are constantly making and taking phone calls which can contain confidential information. All visitors must be accompanied by a parent. Strictly one person at a time with each parent. Only your children are allowed to visit provided they are well.
Please see information below in regards to visiting restrictions during the current COVID 19 pandemic.
Friends and Family
Any family or friends visiting you and your baby, must come to the Main Reception at Maternity between 15-00 and 19-00p.m. Only One Visitor is allowed in with one parent so a maximum of two per incubator or cot. Visitors must wait downstairs in the Antenatal Clinic. They are not allowed to come onto the Neonatal Unit and wait in the corridors. This is a very busy unit and we need to be able to access the unit.
Please note; at the current time, due to the COVID 19 pandemic, only parents are allowed to visit, unfortunately, no relatives, friends or siblings are allowed on to the unit.
Baby Security
Infections
All newborn babies are at an increased risk of catching an infection, due to the fact they have been born prematurely or at term and are unwell and their immune system cannot cope. All the rules regarding visiting and handwashing are to protect your baby/babies. Please be aware that our main concern is the health of both your baby/babies and other babies on the neonatal Unit. To help protect every baby, absolutely EVERYONE who handles a baby MUST wash their hands before doing so (staff are also expected to use a spirit disinfectant hand rub). We ask everyone to wash their hands and arms up to the elbows at the sinks just inside each nursery when they arrive.
Please ensure that you and your visitors adhere strictly to the following:
Sit only with your own baby (please do not wander around the nursery looking at other babies).
NEVER touch someone else’s baby. If you notice another baby who appears distressed, please ask a member of staff or pull the red emergency call button (these are in each nursery and staff will show you where they are).
If you are feeling unwell, please take advice from staff before visiting and don’t allow any other visitors to come if they are unwell (especially if they have coughs, colds and sore throats).
Safety
All medical equipment must only be operated by staff. Please do not turn off alarms or alter settings. (A few parents who have completed a training course for equipment to be used at home may be allowed to do so.) If you are worried please ask staff or use the emergency call button, this is a red button on the wall the location of which you will have been shown. Please ask if you cannot find it.
Confidentiality
Information about babies other than your own is highly confidential so please do not ask us about them!
Photography and Video
We are more than happy for you to take photographs, please do not use flash as it makes the babies jump. Video of your baby on the unit but it is important that you please ASK STAFF FIRST and be aware of other parents and staff privacy. Video cameras are highly sensitive to sound and can pick up confidential information. Once again just please ask first.
About photographs
You may of course take your own photographs, please make sure that the flash is off. If you wish to video your baby, please make sure that you ask the member of staff caring for your baby, as video also picks up sound and we have to respect the privacy of other families on the Neonatal Unit.