Patient and Family Experience

We are committed to ensuring our patients and families have the best experience while with us

NICU information board

To help parents feel more at ease during their stay, a large information board has been added to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which features drawings and explanations of common medical equipment.  

The board, which was funded by our charity, is designed to help reduce some of the anxiety parents might feel when their baby is surrounded by complex-looking medical equipment and was created in collaboration with parents who have stayed on the unit. It describes equipment parents might often see staff using, including a suction machine, nasal prongs, sats probe and cannulas.  

One family said:

This board is going to be so helpful for parents. You often wonder what things are but don’t want to ask too many questions, especially when the staff are already so busy. It’ll help many people feel reassured.

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Citizens Advice

Families at our hospital often experience huge upheaval when looking after a poorly baby. They face reduced income, relationship strain, housing problems, transport issues and the need to adapt to new situations.  

Many parents tell us they’re unable to leave the hospital to find local advice agencies, because of the long wait times and the need to keep returning which impacts on time with their baby. To better support these families, we provided funding so Citizens Advice could be on site for two days a week.  

In its first few months, over 200 people were supported, helping patients and families to receive over £150,000 worth of previously unclaimed welfare benefits. We know health is much more than the care we provide, which is why we have supported this invaluable initiative.

 

Supporting women who have experienced stillbirth

We funded a new clinic to support families who’ve previously experienced the devastation of stillbirth or pregnancy loss.  

The Rainbow Service, led by Dr Leo Gurney, cares for pregnant women who have previously suffered a loss, ensuring they receive additional specialist support and supervision.  

Becoming pregnant after a stillbirth or neonatal death is an incredibly daunting prospect. Around half of all stillbirths are unexplained, leaving parents feeling powerless in a following pregnancy to prevent it from happening again. Parents often have to endure the distress of having to explain their previous loss to health professionals over and over again.  

Thanks to charitable donations, Dr Gurney and his team were able to set up the specialist clinic and purchase a Volusion E8 ultrasound scanner to be used exclusively to support these women. This now ensures parents can be seen by the same consultants and midwives for each visit in a private space away from the main scanning department, helping to improve their care and experience during what is often an unsettling and emotionally demanding time.