Neonatal Intensive Care in Greenwich

The Neonatal Unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital is a well-equipped Level 1 and 2 service with 16 cots.

Location

The Neonatal Unit is on the second floor above the Main Entrance.

Contact

Neonatal Unit Reception

T: 020 8836 4530/4394

Who is Unit for?

The unit is for high dependency and special care babies over 28 weeks gestation can be admitted to the NICU at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Babies born at less than 28 weeks gestation will be transferred to a Level 3 (intensive care) unit coordinated by the Dedicated Retrieval Team from Royal London Hospital at Whitechapel.

Neonatal surgery cases will also be transferred to one of the hospitals within the South East London Neonatal Network.

Babies who have continuing healthcare needs after they are discharged will be referred to the Children's Community Nursing team and Health Visitors and Community Midwives are kept informed.

What does the unit do?

The Neonatal Unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital  is a Local Neonatal Unit (LNU) caring for babies from 27 weeks gestation and with a weight above 800gms.

The Unit has a dedicated team of Paediatric Consultants, Neonatal Matron/ANNP and Specialist trained nurses. The Unit has a Doctors ward round between 08.30-10.30am (finishing times vary). Parents are welcome and encouraged to be in attendance when the Doctors see their baby. Parents will however be asked to leave the nursery in order to maintain confidentiality while Doctors are discussing other babies.

We are able to offer Donor breast milk, daily breastfeeding classes on our postnatal ward and have a full time breastfeeding lead and discharge co-ordinator to fully prepare parents when they are ready to go home.

We have daily quiet times which gives parents an opportunity to have undisturbed time for kangaroo care and quality time with their baby.

Visiting the Neonatal Unit

Parents, are welcome to stay at any time, though we do ask that there are not other visitors after 8pm. Siblings of the baby are welcome to visit but need to be supervised. Visitors are limited to 2 people per baby and we always require visitors to be accompanied by one of the parents.

Parents are encouraged to participate in the care of their baby and to hold them as much as is possible. Mothers are supported in feeding their babies with specialist nurses on hand to provide help with both breast and bottle feeding, and there is a dedicated room for mothers to express milk.

Parents have their own sitting room with tea and coffee making facilities and there are two bedrooms available to use when their baby is ready for discharge from the unit.

The Unit has a strict hand hygiene policy and all visitors to the unit must wash their hands as they enter and as instructed afterwards. If you are unwell, please do not visit the unit to avoid spreading infections.

Key Contacts

Neonatal Matron

Julia Croft
T: 0208 836 6181

Senior Ward Sisters

Teri Stimson

Lorraine Handley