20 May 2009
The neonatal unit at St Helier Hospital is throwing open its doors to local residents after having undergone a £200,000 refurbishment which has transformed the look and feel of the facility.
The neonatal unit, which has 20 cots, is used to look after and treat babies who are very premature, or who have respiratory or feeding problems or other illnesses. Its team of 70 doctors, nurses and other staff work round the clock to care for them and to make sure their parents receive the support they need during what is a difficult and emotional time.
Catherine Swanson is the matron for neonatal services at the Trust. She said: "Babies who are on the neonatal unit are often very sick, needing lots of care and attention.
"This is a rare opportunity to come in and have a tour of a specialist hospital unit. We want to give people the chance to take a look behind the scenes, talk to our staff and learn more about what we do.
"People will have the chance to look at the vast array of technology and equipment our nurses and doctors use, from incubators to heart monitors."
Catherine added: "Sometimes newborn babies just need help feeding, others are very poorly indeed and need full intensive care, help with breathing and maintaining their blood pressure."
The new unit will also have a lounge, somewhere for people to get drinks and three rooms where parents of very sick children can stay overnight. The new unit features new flooring, a complete re-painting and re-decorating with enhanced lighting.
The neonatal unit open day will take place on Monday 1 June 2009 from 12noon to 7pm. There is no need to book or register.
The neonatal unit, which is due to reopen in July, treats approximately 320 babies a year, ranging from a few days old up to about six months.
The refurbishment of the neonatal unit is part of a £2.8 million project to transform the St Helier maternity unit. The work, which is due to be completed in the autumn, includes building a High Dependency Unit, which will be used to care for mothers who need extra attention, for instance, if they have had a difficult birth which involved surgery.
The project, which is being funded by the Trust's capital investment programme, also includes the opening of a specially designed birth centre, where women who have had no problems during pregnancy can give birth in a more relaxed environment.
