Kingston Hospital NHS Trust
Galsworthy Road
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey
KT2 7QB
Tel: 020 8546 7711
www.kingstonhospital.nhs.uk
To view the Parent Information Leaflet for this Unit
please click
here.
To view the
Parent Information Leaflet for parents
and families of sick, newborn and premature babies cared for in a
South West London Hospital
please click here.
This leaflet will also provide you with helpful information
specific to the unit your baby is in, such as visiting times,
facilities, access to interpreters, ward round times, Midwifery
care, going home etc.
THE UNIT
Kingston Hospital runs as
a Level 2 Neonatal Unit. This means that care is provided for
babies born between 27 and 34 weeks, and for babies born with a
serious illness.
There are 20 cots in total on the Unit; 4 Intensive Care cots, 2
High Dependency cots, 14 Special Care cots and 8 Transitional Care
cots which are in a separate ward area.
The Unit also provides a milk bank service for all our
babies.
WHO'S WHO
|
Lead Clinician |
Dr Andrew
Winrow |
|
Lead Consultant/s |
Dr Andrew
Winrow
Dr Dwight
Lindo
Dr Selma Al
Wahab
Dr Andrea
Beaton
Dr Vinay
Pai |
|
Lead Nurse/Matron |
Jill
Hodgkinson |
|
Midwifery Lead |
Lynn
Smith |
The unit is supported by a number of other professionals to ensure
your baby receives the best care possible:
|
Head of Paediatric
Nursing |
Maggie
Clancy |
|
Liaison Health
Visitor |
Anne
Boatman |
|
Practice Development
Sister |
Clare
Gollop |
|
Coordinator for Parents Support/Born Too
Soon |
Pauline
Woods |
VISITING HOURS
Visiting hours for parents and siblings are unrestricted, with the
exception of ward rounds or in the case of emergency
procedures.
Visiting hours for all other visitors are strictly 3pm - 9pm
daily and these visitors must be accompanied by a parent.
In exceptional circumstances and with the permission of the
parents, certain visitors may attend unaccompanied.
Lights are dimmed at night to allow the babies quiet/dark
time.
FACILITIES
Overnight accommodation
Overnight
accommodation is available to parents who wish to stay with their
babies prior to discharge, or if your baby is critically ill and
you wish to be close by.
Telephones
There is a payphone in reception and parents are welcome to make
mobile phone calls from the parent's sitting room.
Catering/refreshments
Hot and cold drinks are available on the Unit.
ADMISSIONS
When your baby first comes up
to the unit he/she will be placed in an open cot with an overhead
heater to keep your baby warm. Initially your baby will not be
dressed because the nurses and doctors will want to observe him/her
closely. To keep your baby warm he/she may need to be covered with
a bubble plastic blanket, which allows the staff to see him/her.
Blankets and clothing may be applied later when your baby's
condition is stable. He/she may be placed into an incubator, again
this is just to keep your baby warm. Equipment will be used to
monitor the baby's condition. Parents may visit in the initial
stages but the doctors and nurses will have to carry out
investigations to monitor your baby's condition.
If you are unable to visit, a photo will be taken of your baby
for you to keep. You are more than welcome to take your own photos,
it will not disturb your baby.
HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR BABY
Talking: Babies love sounds. Gentle talking and
cooing will relax and calm them. Your baby will recognise your
voices so talk to him/her when you visit.
Vision: Pre-term babies can see objects that are six to
twelve inches away from their faces. They will look at a strongly
contrasting colour-- black, white and bright colours. Pictures or a
small colourful toy may be placed into their cot.
Caring: As soon as you feel confident the
nursing staff will show you how to wash, change the nappy and give
mouth care to your baby. The staff will stay with you, helping you,
until you feel confident in caring for your own baby. Within a
short time you will feel more comfortable with your baby and now
you can really get to know each other.
It is important to remember that you also need caring for. It is
very tiring and stressful to have a baby in an intensive care unit.
Both you and the baby need plenty of support and understanding from
your family and close friends.
GOING HOME
Every parent wants to know
when his/her baby will be able to go home. It is impossible for us
to tell parents because every baby responds differently to their
condition and treatment. If your baby is pre-term, a rough guide to
when he/she will leave the hospital is his/her expected birth date.
More accurately, when all the medical equipment is no longer needed
and your baby is well, feeding and gaining weight, he/she will be
ready for home. This is usually a time for mixed feelings- the
excitement and fear of taking your baby home. Many parents have
these mixed feelings. This is normal. The staff on the unit is
there to help you - so please ask any questions.
One of our Neonatal Unit Sisters, Lisa Hollis, specialises in
following up babies who have been born prematurely or who required
intensive care. If your baby needs specialised follow-up she will
visit you and your baby/babies at home to monitor their progress
and to offer support in caring for them.
Preparation: Before you go home you will be
given an option to spend time in hospital with your baby. We have
two mother and baby rooms on the unit designed for you to have time
with your baby and help you get to know each other. We recommend
first-time parents and mothers who are breast feeding to spend one
or two nights on the unit before discharge.
Settling At Home: Your baby may take a few days
to settle at home. It is a different environment for them and you
may find that they will cry a lot for the first few days. It's a
very tiring time for parents too - so remember you can easily
become tired and irritable, this is the time for extra patience and
understanding.
Warmth: Small babies need to remain warm, the
room temperature should be comfortable for you around 65 degrees
Fahrenheit. At bath times the room should be warm and draught free.
Your baby can lose heat very quickly, so remember to dry and dress
him/her soon after their bath.
Appointments: On discharge you will be given an
appointment card for your baby to come back and see the doctor. The
appointment is to come to the Neonatal follow-up clinic where the
doctor will examine your baby and check that all is well.
Health Visitors: Once you and your baby have gone
home your community midwife or health visitor will visit you within
the next two days. She will check your baby's weight and help with
any problems you may have.
Medicines: Your baby may need to continue
medicines he/she was given in the unit. All pre-term infants have
iron and vitamin medicine supplements. The nurse will show you how
to give them and how often. It is important to remember to continue
the medicine supplements until the doctor tells you
differently.
Please click
here to visit the website of Born Too Soon; the
parent supported charity that helps the neonatal unit at the
hospital.
GETTING TO KINGSTON HOSPITAL
For information on how to get to Kingston
Hospital using the Rail and Bus services and by car please
click on the link below.
Travelling
to Kingston Hospital
Please click
here to view a location map of the hospital.
We now have a FREE bus service between Roehampton and Kingston
Hospital. The buses run regularly, so please make use of it. We
will supply you with a timetable upon request.