Our Neonatal Intensive Care unit at Queen's Hospital is one of the biggest and busiest in London – we care for babies born over 27 weeks gestation and take pride in providing the perfect environment in which these tiny babies can grow, thrive and develop.

The unit is comprised of three intensive care cots, 11 high-dependencies and 21 special-care cots, and manages an extensive range of neonatal medical cases within these culturally-diverse boroughs. We are also fully equipped to stabilise medical and surgical cases prior to transfer, if there is a need for Level 3 neonatal care.

A robust multidisciplinary team structure is in place to maintain the quality of service we provide, which includes a full rota of consultant neonatologists, registrars and junior doctors, advanced neonatal nurse practitioners,nurses qualified in the neonatal speciality, and nursery nurse.

Our unit boasts of having its own dedicated infant feeding and developmental care lead. parent infant psychotherapist, speech and language therapist, physiotherapist, transitional care sister, dietitian and a children’s complex discharge coordinator, who provide guidance and support to parents and families of  sick preterm or term babies and their families, right from admission through to discharge. If continuity of care and support is required after discharge, a devoted neonatal community team will ensure that the babies are safely cared for at home. We have a Transitional Care team whose aim it is to keep mother and baby together, when baby needs additional care but can be managed on for on the maternity unit.

We also have a proactive education team that offers clinical training, monitors competencies, and provides career development opportunities for staff through close commissioning links with City and London Southbank Universities. The unit also contributes actively in the advancement of technology in neonatal medicine via numerous researches and audits.

Key telephone numbers

Reception: 01708 435 115

Treatments available

• Medical treatment of all newborn disorders from 27 weeks gestation and above, ie mechanical ventilation, exchange transfusion, chest drain etc.
• Stabilisation of babies born at 27 weeks gestation and below, or those who were born requiring surgery or Level 3 neonatal care, i.e., passive cooling, cerebral function monitoring, initiation of nitric treatment, etc.

Preparing for your visit

In view of the susceptibility of our client group to infection, we encourage visitors to come in the unit ‘bare below the elbows’ all the time, with hands properly washed in the sinks provided.

Resources for parents

This is a list of helpful posters and leaflets. Simply click on the links below to view and download the information you want. Copies are also available, just ask a member of staff when in the parents' waiting area. 

Bliss Baby Charity has lots of information cards and leaflets, covering weaning, skin to skin, common infectious illnesses and more. 

Unicef has easy to understand infosheets on breastfeeding and bottle feeding, both available in multiple languages.

The Breastfeeding Network has leaflets on expressing and storing breastmilk as well as breast feeding and Mastitis.

First Steps Nutrition has a range of eating well guides for infants and new mums and one to four year olds. 

The Lullaby Trust has guides for safer sleep, including easy read cards.

Download Public Health England's Off to the best start booklet - a guide to help you start breastfeeding: 

Off_to_the_best_start_four_page booklet.pdf 2MB

Download Public Health England's bottle feeding guide - information on how to prepare infant formula and sterilise feeding equipment:

Bottlefeeding brochure.pdf 3MB

Our ward welcome booklet

Welcome booklet[pdf] 920KB

Location

Neonatal Intensive Care unit
Blue zone, first floor
Queen's Hospital
Rom Valley Way
Romford RM7 0AG

• Open access to parents/grandparents, babies siblinigs over 12 years old
• 24 hours
• Only two people at the cot side, one of which must be a parent.