Mobile phones
Please can mobile phones be on silent at all times. Any calls should be taken with in the visitors room or outside the main entrance doors
Car parking
There is a charge for on-site parking although permits are available at a reduced rate. You will find a form in your admission bag to purchase a permit, if required.
vCreate and baby diaries
We offer vCreate which is a free secure video messaging service which allows staff to record and send pictures and video updates to parents.
These can be access on your mobile phone, which minimises any separation anxiety.
Please provide your email address to use this service as soon as possible to the nurse caring for your baby.
You baby will also receive a baby diary. This is for you to record your thoughts and feelings during your stay and also record your baby’s milestones.
If you wish you can also ask family and fiends to write in the diary when they visit.
GP and birth registration
To enable you baby to be discharged from the NICU, they must be registered with a GP. Please ensure you register them as soon as possible.
You have a legal responsibility to register your baby’s birth within six weeks
A birth must be registered in the registration district in which it took place, therefore if your baby was born at The James Cook University Hospital, the birth must be registered, by appointment, at Middlesbrough Register Office, Town Hall, Middlesbrough, TS1 2PA.
Telephone: 01642 729004
If it is not convenient for you to attend Middlesbrough Register Office, you can register the birth by declaration at any other register office in England or Wales.
The registrar there will record the relevant information and act as an intermediary, passing the details to the registrar in Middlesbrough by post.
In these cases, any birth certificates you need will be sent to you by post.
Confidentiality
Nursing handovers and ward rounds take place twice a day.
We want you to be a part of the planning of your baby’s care so hope you can be present and participate in the ward rounds.
Anything you may hear is confidential and should not be repeated. We use an electronic system to hold information about all babies who require admission to the neonatal unit.
This is needed to maintain an accurate record of your baby’s health needs and treatments received.
Information is collected on a day to day basis by staff directly involved in your baby’s care and is held inline with the Data Protection Act (1998).
Please talk to a member of staff if you would like more information or have any questions.
Financial support
A family fund is available to help with the financial burden of having a premature baby.
There is a strict criteria families must meet to be eligible. If you would like to be considered please speak to a member of staff.
You can also visit: www.neoangels.org.uk and complete the online grant application or visit www.bliss.org.uk who also offers advice on financial help for families.
Consent
You may be asked to give verbal or written consent for any procedures, investigations or treatment you baby requires.
Consent must be obtained from the person with legal ‘parental responsibility’.
Everything will be explained to you to ensure that you fully understand what you are consenting too.
Accessing your baby’s medical notes
If you wish to read your baby’s notes then an appointment can be made so that medical staff can be readily available to explain any medical terms you may not understand.
Fire policy
In the event of a fire, an alarm will sound, if this is continuous it means it is in our area whereas an intermittent alarm means it is in an adjacent area, please remain where you are and our team will inform you of what to do.
If you are in the neonatal flats, please make your way back onto the neonatal unit, if safe.
Fire alarms are tested around mid-day on a Tuesday morning.
Refreshments and catering facilities
We urge parents to take regular breaks, to eat well and drink plenty of fluids.
There are cafes throughout the hospital, a main staff and visitors restaurant, Costa Coffee, Marks and Spencer Simply Food and WHSmiths.Located within walking distance of the hospital are Tesco express and Aldi.
You will find Middlesbrough town centre approximately ten minutes by care and Teesside Retail Park approximately 15 minutes.
Smoking
The hospital building, including family facilities, car parks and grounds are all designated no smoking areas.
Cashpoint machines
Available at WHSmith and north entrance.
Cashback is available from Marks and Spencer simply food, although a minimum spend is required.