Patient and family
Our team is made up of highly skilled doctors and nurses who have received specialist training in the transfer of sick babies from local neonatal units to NICUs.
The team consists of a doctor or advanced neonatal nurse practitioner (ANNP), a nurse and a driver. A technician may also be part of the team. The team on transfer will depend on the category of transfer and the needs of your baby.
Why does your baby need our help?
We will have received a call from the neonatal unit that is providing care for your baby.
Your baby may require intensive care or specialist treatment on an NICU and we have been called to arrange their transfer. The initial management of your baby will have been delivered by the local team with some advice from our team. Your baby may need transfer to another neonatal unit for other reasons.
We will always try to place your baby in the most appropriate unit to meet their needs, closest to your home. If no neonatal cots are available in Thames Valley or Wessex, we will transport your baby to the nearest available NICU bed.
We will transfer (repatriate) your baby back to your local hospital for their ongoing care when intensive or specialist care is no longer required.
What happens before we leave your local hospital?
After we arrive at the hospital your baby has been admitted to, we will need to assess your baby and take details about their condition and medical care so far. We may need to spend some more time with your baby carrying out further treatment before it is safe to transfer them. Once we have done this a member of our team will come and talk to you about your baby’s condition and what we have done to prepare them for transfer.
We will provide you with written transfer information prior to the transfer (SONeT parent information leaflet) and information specific to the unit to which your baby is being transferred. Directions, a map, contact numbers, and details about local facilities, including parent accommodation, will be provided.
Please feel free to ask us questions during this time, as we feel it is important that you fully understand what is happening.
For more information visit: https://neonatalnetworkssoutheast.nhs.uk/