Our neonatal services run from the Woodland Neonatal Unit at Watford General Hospital.
We have 19 cots and admit babies born from 27 weeks gestation and birth weight over 800 grams or completed 28 weeks for multiple births.
On this page…
Locations
Woodland Neonatal Unit - From the main reception in the Women’s and Children's building, go through the door opposite the entrance and walk up the stairs or take the lift to level 3. On level 3, go through the maternity reception by pressing the buzzer and turn right towards maternity triage. The Woodland Neonatal unit entrance door is signposted. Press the neonatal unit buzzer to enter.
Transitional Care - From the main reception in the Women’s and Children's building, go through the door opposite the entrance and walk up the stairs or take the lift to level 2. On level 2, follow the signs to Katherine ward. Press the buzzer to enter. Transitional care is signposted at the end of Katherine ward.
Contact information
- Phone -
- Woodland Neonatal Unit - 01923 217928 or 01923 217392
- Transitional care - 01923 436770
Neonatal and Transitional care
Babies can be admitted to neonatal care for a number of reasons, including when they:
- are premature
- are very small and have a low birthweight
- have an infection and unwell
- have a mother who is insulin dependent diabetes
- have jaundice requiring intensive treatment
- had difficulty in breathing
- require oxygen and respiratory support
- are waiting for, or recovering from surgery
- have feeding problems with very low blood sugar
Neonatal services also include a 6 bed Transitional Care Unit located on Katherine ward, where babies will be cared for by the mothers’ bedside and will be supported by the neonatal staff and postnatal midwives.
Babies can be admitted to transitional when requiring additional observation, treatment and support such as:
- additional feeding support requiring nasogastric tube feeding
- antibiotics due to infection but well
- have jaundice requiring single or double phototherapy
- excessive weight loss with feeding difficulties
Further information
Woodland Neonatal Unit
Parents, guardians and parents, including siblings, can be on the unit anytime seven days a week. Other family members and visitors to the family can visit babies staying in our neonatal unit between 3pm-6:30pm, seven days a week.
Only two people at a time are allowed for each cot side.
Every person entering the unit has to sign in and sign out at the reception desk. Parents are given blue wrist bands by staff if they need to come in and out of the unit multiple times in a day.
Quiet time
Between 1.30-3.30pm every day we have a quiet period. As part of our commitment to family care, the unit has a period of quiet time each day where we reduce the noise level to promote optimal growth and neurodevelopment of the babies. Parents are encouraged to spend this time having skin-to-skin with their baby.
Transitional care
Partners can be on the unit anytime seven days a week and stay at night. Siblings, other family members and visitors to the family can visit between 8am-10pm, seven days a week.
Only two people at a time are allowed for each cot side.
Infection control
Handwashing is extremely important for everyone visiting the unit. Hand gels are available at the entrance to the unit and handwashing sinks are provided at the entrance to all nurseries.
Please remove any jewellery and roll up sleeves when washing your hands.
Please let the staff know if you or your visitors are currently unwell or have recently been unwell.
We hold a ward round every day and parents are encouraged to attend.
There is a consultant-led ward round in the neonatal unit every day, and once a week on Wednesday in Transitional care.
Please inform staff if you’d like to arrange a meeting with the neonatal consultant to discuss your child’s care and to raise any queries or concerns.
The area is monitored by CCTV. There are security doors to get into the unit. Please press the buzzer to be let in.
Please ensure that the door is closed after entry. Tailgating is not allowed.
Staff will provide a tour for all parents, partners and guardians when their baby is admitted to the unit.
We have the following facilities:
- Rooming in rooms for parents to use if they choose to stay for one or two days before discharge
- Parent kitchen
- Sibling play area
- Expressing room with equipment provided to support breastfeeding mothers
- Counselling room for parents
- Lounge with breakfast bar
A staff board is available in each unit to help you identify members of our team.
Clinical neonatal team - includes neonatal nurses, nursery nurses, nursing associates, advance nurse practitioners and doctors, ward clerks, receptionist, healthcare support workers and domestic staff.
Non-clinical neonatal team - includes the matron, ward manager, practice development nurse, clinical practice facilitator, data analyst and Patient Safety and Governance Nurse.
Infant feeding lead - provides support for parents about feeding choices and can help with complex feeding issues.
Outreach team - provide support and coordination to ensure a smooth transition from hospital to home, as well as making the appropriate referrals to other agencies, prior to discharge. The team also visit babies in the community after discharge who fit their outreach criteria. The team run the Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) outpatient clinic with the ophthalmologist.
Allied Health Care Professionals - the unit has a physiotherapist, occupational therapist and dietician available to support the care of babies in both units.
Clinical Psychologist - Provides psychological assessment and therapy for families and infants, offers consultation and support to multi-disciplinary teams, and helps create a psychologically informed environment.
Safeguarding team - provide support for all staff across the organisation in relation to safeguarding issues or concerns.
Maternity midwives - care for and support mothers in the neonatal and transitional care unit.
Hearing screening team - staff who will be doing the hearing screening test for your baby.
Patient information leaflets
- Human milk fortifier for home
- Neonatal Outreach - Support after discharge
- Physiotherapy Advice for Positional Talipes Calcaneovalgus
- Physiotherapy Advice for Positional Talipes Equinovarus
- Preparation for discharge
- Rooming in on SCBU
- SCBU Transitional Care
- Support after discharge - neonatal outreach in the community
- Achieved Stage 3 Baby Friendly Initiative Accreditation
- Achieved Silver BLISS accreditation and working towards Gold accreditation.
- NLS Training Provider.
- Spiritual and Pastoral Care team – Find out more about the spiritual and pastoral support available.
- Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) – PALS can help if you have an issue or want to raise a concern. Please speak to the nurse in charge or ward manager in the first instance.
- BLISS - a charity for babies born too small, too sick, too soon. Offers a wide range of information booklets and support for families.