Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a specialist regional intensive care unit. The hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit is one of three centres providing specialist level three neonatal, medical and surgical intensive care across the Eastern Perinatal Network.
Babies may be in intensive care, high dependency or the special care areas of the unit. Our unit receives babies from across the region and further afield and our NICU staff care for more than 850 babies a year.
Facilities for parents
A parents sitting room is available for your use where tea and coffee making facilities are available and we also have four bedrooms attached to the unit for parents. Please be aware that priority for those rooms is given to parents whose babies are critically ill.
We do offer parents a discount in the hospital restaurant for those staying in the parents’ rooms. Please ask staff on the unit for a dining pass.
We also offer free parking for parents on the surface carparks. This excludes the privately owned multi-storey carpark.
Important things to remember
- When you come into the unit please use the cloakroom for your coats.
- Please wash your hands on entering the unit, prior to handling your baby and after handling your baby.
- Please do not leave any valuables unattended on the unit.
- Lockers are available in the cloakroom and keys can be provided.
- Please keep all hot drinks in our parents sitting room.
- Please bring your headphones with you to use with your mobile phone.
- Siblings are welcome must be supervised at all times.
- To get into the unit, please ring the doorbell and be patient if staff are busy. Never let anyone in or out of the unit.
- You are welcome to take photographs and videos of your baby but please do not photograph or video other babies on the Unit.
- Helium balloons and flowers are not allowed on the unit.
Access to NICU: As partners in care, parents and siblings have unrestricted access to NICU. Visiting for family and friends is between 4pm and 6pm unless there are exceptional circumstances then please speak to your nurse.
To get into the unit, please ring the doorbell and be patient if staff are busy. Never let anyone in or out of the unit.
Quiet times to facilitate rest for babies are observed between 12:30 – 14:00 and 20:00 – 22:00.
How to Find Us
The ward is located on Level 3 in the West Block
Please use the West Outpatients entrance/s and follow the signs to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
If you are coming by car and need to park, the closest car park/s are C, D.
If the car park is full, spaces may be available in the public car park opposite A&E, which is operated independently.