staff on the neonatal unit

Medical Staff

There are three grades of doctors working on the Neonatal Unit

Consultants- A total of eight neonatal consultants work on the unit. They are the most senior doctors and at any one time two of these will have overall responsibility for the medical care of the babies. They will discuss the medical plan for each baby with the more junior medical staff on a daily basis. Day to day updates on each baby will be communicated to parents by both nurses and more junior doctors but complex issues or fuller updates will be discussed with consultants as required.

Middle grade doctors (previously called registrars)- These doctors have had at least seven years experience in medicine, five of which will have been in general paediatrics or neonates. There are a total of seven middle grade doctors employed by the unit, but as they work shifts only two or three will be present on the unit during the day. There is always one present on the unit at night. These doctors are responsible for the day to day running of the unit and also supervise the more junior doctors. A consultant will always be available for advice when required. They are usually attached to the unit for a six to twelve month period.

Junior doctors (previously SHOs)- Although referred to as “junior”, these doctors will have had a minimum of three years of medical experience, of which at least one year will be in paediatrics and neonates. There are nine of these doctors employed by the unit, but as they work shifts not all are present at any one time. There will be at least three present during the day and one present at night. These are the doctors that parents will probably see the most and who will do the majority of the practical procedures for the babies.

Nursing Staff

There are several grades of nursing staff on the Neonatal Unit.

Senior Nurse Manager- The Senior Nurse Manager is the most senior member of the Neonatal nursing team.

Neonatal Nurse Specialist- This is a member of the nursing team who is highly qualified and experienced in the area of Neonatal care. This experience and knowledge will be used to offer advice, support and education to others within the nursing team and to families on the unit.

Community Neonatal Sister – She will provide follow-up care and support at home for all babies and their families who were booked in at St George’s. She will also ensure the babies are growing and feeding well, and will try to identify any problems early on.

Practice Educator and Teaching Sister– These are responsible for the education, training and orientation of the nursing staff. They will arrange study days for staff, that take place both within the St George’s and elsewhere in the country.

Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner – These are senior, experienced nurses who have gained extra, specialist qualifications in order to take responsibility for some of the medical decisions, including prescribing of certain drugs.

Sisters and Charge Nurses – These are senior, experienced nurses who take responsibility for co-ordinating the overall care of the babies throughout the shift. There will be a sister/charge nurse in each nursery on the unit. They act as line manager for more junior staff.

Staff Nurses – These are qualified, often experienced, staff who take responsibilty for the overall care of the baby. Their roles are often wide and varied.

Nursery Nurses – These are qualified staff who oversee the care of the ‘Special Care’ babies. They are also responsible for parentcraft and the milk bank.

Other staff on the Neonatal Unit that you may meet

Medical Physics Team- The main role of the Medical Physics department is to make sure that there is a medical devices infrastructure set up in the hospital to enable the delivery of clinical services by the safe and effective use of medical devices. This covers the purchase, safety testing, repair, preventive maintenance and training. The department also works closely with the procurement department to provide technical support to the procurement process. The team comprises mainly of Clinical Technologists, Clinical Scientists, Engineers and Bioengineers

Counsellor- The counsellor will aim to provide you with a quiet space where you can explore and consider the issues that may be troubling you in relation to having a baby on the Neonatal Unit. She will not judge you or try to give you advice, and will treat anything you have to say in the strictest confidence. The counsellor will introduce herself to you on the unit and you can choose whether you would wish to meet with her again.

Receptionist- Our experienced receptionist is responsible for the smooth running of administrative side of the Neonatal Unit. She will often be the first point of contact for people calling or visiting the unit.

Housekeeper/Admin- The housekeeper will take charge of staff rotas, fault reporting, booking in admissions, discharging, transport booking and generally overseeing any housekeeping issues.

Secretaries- The secretaries work for the Consultants, and will be responsible for booking outpatient appointments, amongst many other roles.

Other hospital staff

There are many other hospital staff members that you may meet during your stay on the Neonatal Unit. You may be referred to other teams within the hospital for specialist help. Here is a list of some of the other people you may come across.

Chaplain

Pharmacist

Physiotherapist

Dietician

Speech Therapist

Obstetrician

Midwife

Fetal Cardiologist

Geneticist

Radiographer

Endocardiographer

Porter

Laboratory Staff

Paediatric Outpatient staff