Parking is free for Parents of babies on the neonatal Unit – please ask on the unit for details how to obtain free parking
There are a variety of cafes and services at the Broomfield
For further information please click here
Hello, and welcome to Broomfield Neonatal Unit (A406).
We are a level 2 unit and have the facilities to provide care for babies requiring intensive care, high dependency, and special care.
There are many reasons why a baby may be admitted to the Neonatal Unit. These include being born too early, too small, needing surgery, or needing extra care after being born. The Neonatal staff looking after your baby will explain everything to you as soon as possible.
As parents, you are the most important people in your baby’s life, so we understand how important it is for us to keep you updated and involved throughout your baby’s stay. As part of this we promote Family Integrated Care. This means we work with you as partners in care for YOUR baby. You have unrestricted access to your baby (along with their siblings). We support you to be involved in decision making, provide care for your baby and work with you towards discharge home from the point of admission.
To get to the unit from the hospital entrance, you need to come up to level 4 in the lifts, then turn right and follow the corridor along to A406. The unit is signposted, and the doors have butterfly/meadow wrapping!
We will provide you with a car park permit for the duration of your stay here!
There is a first buzzer entrance into a large reception area.
Within this area are toilets, lockers for your use and our staff photo board. We ask you to leave outdoor coats on the hooks provided in this area.
You will then come to the second buzzer and enter the unit itself. Please use the hand gel provided. Please then wash your hands at the sink in whichever nursery your baby is in.
On your first visit, someone will greet and guide you to where your baby is.
We have 8 nurseries within the unit, each with varying levels of equipment and supplies. The room your baby is in will be dependent on the level of staff and care they need.
You are allocated a nurse or nursery nurse each day and night shift and encourage you to participate in the daily doctor’s ward round to help make the plan of care for your baby. Throughout your stay on the unit, you may meet many people contributing to care of your baby. These include dietician, speech and language therapist, pharmacist, maternity and Paediatric teams – all will wear name badges and happily introduce themselves and their role to you.
Family Facilities:
We have a family kitchen, where there are hot and cold drink facilities, a fridge and microwave for your use. We provide hot and cold drinks, fruit, and snacks for you. There is an M&S, coffee shop and café within the hospital.
We have two rooming-in rooms where you can stay with your baby or babies! These are particularly used in preparation for discharge and to establish feeding.
There is an “Expressing Room” for those who are expressing their milk, with washing and sterilizing facilities and a water machine.
Family Support:
We are happy for you to phone anytime of the day or night to ask about your baby. On the times you are unable to be physically present on the unit, we have a secure service called vCreate, this allows us to send you photos and videos of your baby.
We welcome extended access for your support network if you wish. The particulars of this can be subject to change so please ask the nursing team or the ward clerk on your arrival to the unit.
We have various family support services available, these include a Bliss Champion, chaplaincy services, psychotherapy, and our local parental support group “Broomfield Buddies!”
We can provide basic life support training, safer sleep information and parentcraft etc. as required.
We as a unit started working towards Bliss Accreditation in 2020. Bliss Accreditation assesses the support we give to you as a family. See our progress displayed in our reception.
Our unit commenced working towards BFI Accreditation in 2022. You can check out the progress of this in the reception too! The BFI is the Baby Friendly Initiative that promotes breastfeeding and parent/baby relationships. We support your feeding choices and will provide any assistance you require.
Occasionally, your baby may require transfer to another hospital for ongoing or specialist care. If this is required, we use a dedicated Neonatal Transport team, and aim to transfer within the East of England or London region. If this is the case, you will be fully updated and often be offered the chance to travel with your baby. If your baby’s condition allows, you would return to closer to home, as soon as possible.
We also have a transitional care service; this is a bridge between regular postnatal care and enhanced care received on the neonatal unit. This facility can provide extra support such as tube feeding and phototherapy.
is a children’s medical and surgical ward caring for children who are admitted as an emergency or who require an overnight stay in hospital
Children’s Assessment Unit – There is an assessment facility for children with a range of medical and surgical conditions. Children can be referred urgently by their GP or by Accident and Emergency to this unit and will be seen and assessed by a paediatrician or a surgeon.
provides planned day surgical facilities for children and young people.
provides a comprehensive children’s outpatient service and outreach clinics to the community hospitals. Visiting specialist teams from The Royal London, Royal Brompton and Great Ormond Street provide joint care clinics.
For further information please click here
The Neonatal Lead Nurse is
Nicola Waterson
The Neonatal Lead Clinician is
Ahmed Hassan
The Paediatric Critical Care lead nurses are
Mary Stebbens
Angela Poulter
Suzanne Reynolds
The Paediatric Critical Care lead clinicians are
Dean Lethaby
Arindam Das
The Surgery in children lead nurses are
Victoria Bird
Melanie Chambers
The Surgery in Children Lead Clinician is
Laura Harding
