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Welcome to the Neonatal Unit at the Royal Oldham Hospital An information guide

Welcome to the Neonatal Unit at the Royal Oldham Hospital Welcome to the Neonatal Unit We hope that you find the following information beneficial during your baby’s stay on the ward. Please feel free to ask any questions at any time, as all our staff are here to help. Due to your baby having been born premature or unwell he/she has had to be admitted to our unit. We recognise that this is a very difficult time for you and we know that however small or sick your baby is you, the parents, are the most important people in your baby’s life. We will do everything we can to support you throughout your time on the unit. Different members of the team caring for your baby include doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants and advanced neonatal nurse practitioners (ANNPs). The nursing sisters wear a navy blue uniform, staff nurses wear royal blue, health care assistants wear green and the ANNPs wear navy with red piping. Equipment During your baby’s stay on the unit you will notice a lot of different equipment. Your baby won’t necessarily need all of this equipment during their stay and the nurse caring for your baby will explain what it is used for. Do not be worried if the monitor’s alarm sounds, as they are set to alert staff if they go above or below a set limit. They can also alarm when your baby moves. There will be a nurse in the room at all times who will make sure that your baby is alright if the alarms do sound.

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Handling your baby in Intensive Care (IC) and High Dependency (HD) Babies born before 34 weeks gestation have difficulty coordinating their suck, swallow and breathing during feeds, therefore we will give your baby milk through a tube in their nose leading to their stomach. Babies who are unwell may also be fed this way. It is very important that you have contact with your baby. At first it may be a touch, or containment holding in the incubator. Staff will show you how to perform ‘cares’ which involve changing baby’s nappy and giving mouth care. As soon as your baby’s condition allows, you will be able to have a cuddle and perhaps have skin-toskin contact, sometimes called kangaroo care. This is especially beneficial to parents and baby as it helps with bonding. The staff will guide you on what is appropriate for your baby. Initially your baby may only be nursed in a nappy so that we can fully observe them. However when the time is right for them to be dressed we have a stock of baby clothes which we wash on the premises. You can bring your own clothes in but they must be labeled with your baby’s name and must be taken home by you to wash. Please provide your baby with a supply of nappies and cotton wool for ‘care time’. As your baby’s condition improves he/she will be moved into the special care nursery. Your baby may still be in an incubator attached to monitors and may still require oxygen therapy but they will not require such intense support. To reduce the risk of infection toys are not allowed in incubators and cots.

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Special Care As your baby’s condition further improves they will be transferred to the nursery. You will be much more involved in your baby’s care and in time may be able to breast or bottle feed your baby and also bath them. However it is still important for your baby to sleep in between feeds as this helps them to grow. Too much stimulation can cause your baby to lose weight and slow down on their feeding. Occasionally babies may have to be moved back into high dependency/intensive care if they become unwell. Visiting We have an open visiting policy for parents and grandparents. Visiting times for all other visitors is between 10am-10pm. However due to limited space and for infection control purposes we ask that you only have two people (one being a parent) at the cot side at any one time. Family and friends can only visit when a parent is present. Please do not have frequent changes of visitors, particularly in the first few days and also when your baby is unstable, as rest is important. Children under 16 years of age are not permitted on the unit unless they are siblings. Please do not visit if you are unwell, due to the potential spread of infection to the very vulnerable babies. We have a quiet time on the ward each day from 14:00-16:00 when all the lights are dimmed, and the blinds are closed, allowing your baby to rest. We request that parents only visit at this time. There are car parking facilities at the hospital. Tickets can be purchased daily/weekly from the ticket machines. Monthly tickets at a reduced cost can be purchased from the car park office. Please ask a member of staff for details. If you are establishing breast feeding/expressing, daily visiting and in receipt of benefit, you may be able to receive support towards travelling expenses. Advice can be obtained from the cashiers

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office. Please ask a member of staff for a letter to confirm your baby is an inpatient on the unit. There is a restaurant called The Café Royal which is open daily. There is also a shop at the main entrance that sells snacks and drinks. Tesco and Asda are located near to the hospital. Doctor’s Ward Rounds/Nurse handovers Ward rounds take place on the unit several times a day and start from 9.00 a.m. You are very welcome to attend when the doctor is examining your baby, however, we ask that if your baby is sharing a room with others, for reasons of confidentiality, please wait outside in the parents’ room whilst the other babies are being examined. All parents are asked to leave the room for nursing handovers. These are between 7.30 - 8.00 a.m. and 8.00-8.30 pm each day. Confidentiality We are unable to give information about babies to anyone but the parents. We can only give information over the phone to a parent so please ask family and friends to contact you at home. Please refrain from asking about other babies or looking in other cots or incubators. Security The unit is security conscious and video monitoring is in place at the entrances to the unit. Entry to the unit is by an intercom system. The inside door is locked at all times. To gain access ring the bell located at the side of the door and wait for an answer. If the staff do not answer the bell immediately, please be patient as they may be caring for your baby. On entering the unit please remove your coat or outside garment and place in the lockers provided (£1 coin needed and returned when key is placed back in).

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Handwashing All premature and sick babies are at increased risk of infection. It is essential that all staff, parents and visitors wash their hands, and use the gel provided on entering a clinical area and before handling your baby. Handwashing is the single most important method of reducing the spread of infection. We will provide you with a leaflet on the correct way to wash your hands. Rest room There is a rest room on the unit which has a television, fridge and a kettle to make yourself a drink. Food may be brought in, but please label it with your name and the date before putting it in the fridge. This room also contains toys and books for siblings. Siblings must be supervised at all times. Breast pumps Within our unit there is a breastfeeding room containing breast pumps and breastfeeding kits for use when visiting your baby. For mums who are expressing breast milk, there are a limited number of breast pumps available for loan on both the neonatal and maternity units. There is a breast feeding support group on the unit every Wednesday 2.00 - 4.00 pm. Parent Accommodation We have 4 bedrooms available for parents. They will be allocated preferentially to parents who have a very sick baby, parents who live outside the area and parents in preparation for discharge home. Rooms will be allocated for 48 hours. This may be extended following discussion with the unit manager or shift co-ordinator. To comply with Trust policies and procedures you will be asked to sign and comply with a 'house rules' document.

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Car seats Infant car seats are the safest way to transport your baby in a car. Please ensure that you know how to fix your car seat into your car prior to your baby’s discharge home. The direct line to the unit is 0161 627 8151. Please feel free to phone the unit any time day or night. Thank you for reading this leaflet - we hope that you found it informative.

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If English is not your frst language and you need help, please contact the Ethnic Health Team on 0161 627 8770

Jeżeli angielski nie jest twoim pierwszym językiem i potrzebujesz pomocy proszę skontaktować się z załogą Ethnic Health pod numerem telefonu 0161 627 8770

For general enquiries please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0161 604 5897 For enquiries regarding clinic appointments, clinical care and treatment please contact 0161 624 0420 and the Switchboard Operator will put you through to the correct department / service Date of publication: March 2012 Date of review: December 2013 Date of next review: December 2016 Ref: PI_WC_737 © The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

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