Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
These units are situated alongside specialist obstetric and feto-maternal medicine services and provide the whole range of medical neonatal care for the local population, along with additional care for babies and their families referred from the neonatal network. Often these babies will have been born before 28 weeks’ gestation or are unwell after birth. Babies who need surgical intervention might be transferred to Brighton or London.
Local neonatal unit (LNU)
These units provide neonatal care for the catchment population. It provides all categories of neonatal care; babies who need complex or longer-term intensive care are transferred to a NICU. The majority of babies over 27 weeks of gestation will usually receive their full care, including short periods of intensive care, within their LNU. Some LNUs provide high dependency care and short periods of intensive care for the network population. LNUs may receive transfers from other neonatal services in the network.
Special care unit (SCU)
These units provide special care for the local population. Often this will be for babies born after 32 weeks’ gestation. Depending on arrangements within the neonatal network, it may also provide some high dependency services. In addition, SCUs provide a stabilisation facility for babies who need to be transferred to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for intensive or high dependency care, and these units receive transfers from other network units for continuing special care.
Transitional care (TC)
Some neonatal and maternity services may provide transitional care on the postnatal ward for babies that need extra support such as feeding, IV antibiotics and phototherapy but do not need admission to the neonatal unit. This allows families to remain together with the baby and receive care in the same location.
For more information, visit Bliss.org.uk