About the unit
The Oliver Fisher baby unit is a tertiary neonatal facility caring for babies who require intensive care. We care for babies from medway and the surrounding south east thames region including Dartford, Gravesend, Maidstone and Tunbridge wells. We also accept referrals from outside Kent.
Our 36-cot unit provides intensive care, high dependency, special and transitional care services for babies born prematurely or who are sick and require specialist treatment. Around 1,000 babies are treated here each year as part of our neonatal and maternity service.
Virtual tour of our unit
We understand that having your baby being cared for on the neonatal unit can be a stressful time for parents and families. If your baby is going to be or has been admitted onto the neonatal unit, or if you are coming to see a baby on the neonatal unit, you may find it helpful to familiarise yourself in advance with where the unit is and how to get there.
The Neonatal Network for Kent, Surrey and Sussex recently completed a video tour (below) of how to get to our neonatal unit, the facilities available on the unit and other helpful information. Press the play button in the bottom left to see a walkthrough from our front door to and then around the unit, or click on one of the other icons to explore specific areas of the tour directly.
Trigger warning
If you are a parent or carer and wish to use our virtual tour to explore our unit, please make sure you are in a safe space and feel emotionally ready to revisit the unit. Some parents have told us that revisiting the unit, even years after your baby was cared for by the neonatal team, can bring back emotional memories, so please take care.
Here is the link to the ODN website where all the links to the 13 neonatal units, neonatal transport service and Ronald McDonald House (Brighton) virtual tours are available.
Useful information
Babies and families are cared for by a specialist team led by eight consultants and a neonatal matron.
Your baby will have a named consultant, however, from day to day, may be under the care of different consultants. Your baby’s named consultant will plan any follow up care that your baby might need after going home.
Our consultants have a team of doctors working with them in the nurseries everyday including senior house officers and registrars. The medical team is also supported by ANNPs (advanced neonatal nurse practitioners) and P.A.s (physician’s associates). All of the babies are reviewed at least once a day by a consultant with their team. This is called the ward round and we would encourage you to be there for your baby too.
Your baby will also have a nurse allocated every shift. Babies are never left without a nurse in the room (except on transitional care where the mother is admitted as well).
There is always a named nurse in charge of every shift. This will be a very senior nurse (usually senior sister). The most senior nurse on the unit is the matron, who usually works monday to friday. All of these people can be approached if you have questions or concerns.
You will also see nurses specialising in research, training and transport. The registered nurses are supported by nursery nurses and clinical support workers. We also have specialists who come to the unit including radiographers, physiotherapist, and pharmacists.
The Oliver Fisher Unit is located in
Medway Maritime Hospital
Windmill Road Gillingham Kent
ME7 5NY
Level 4, Green Zone
We are committed to keeping your baby safe. Please help us by asking anyone coming in behind you, at the main door, to buzz for themselves; do not hold the door open for them, unless you know who they are. All hospital staff wear identity badges.
As parents of a baby in the neonatal unit, you are not visitors, but your baby’s primary carer and we would love you to spend as much time as you can looking after and being with your baby. As parents you can decide who visits your baby. We call this ‘open visiting’. You can have who you want, when you want, but…
What do you need to consider?
For reasons of safety, security and infection control, please respect the following:
Please only take cold drinks with lids (e.g. bottles) into the nurseries. Please go out of the nurseries for hot drinks and food. We have a parents’ sitting room with a kitchenette.
Only two adults at the cotside at any one time and one needs to be a parent. No children under 16, unless it is a brother or sister of the baby.
No one should visit with a cold or flu or any other infectious illness. Anyone who has suffered diarrhoea or vomiting needs to wait 48 hours without any symptoms before coming in – ask the nurse for advice if necessary.
Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate your visitors staying in the nurseries during ward rounds. They are welcome to wait in the waiting area, but not in front of the nursery doors or at the nurses’ station.
Please ask a nurse or ward clerk for a car parking subsidy form. Take the completed form to the car park desk at the main entrance for a weekly car park ticket at a greatly reduced rate. Car park is free overnight between the hours of 7pm and 7am.
If your in receipt of universal credit you may be able to claim back your train or rail fares. You will need to keep your tickets/receipt and a nurse will confirm your visits.
It’s really important to keep your strength up and look after yourself. Although you can take cold drinks with lids on into the nursery, please remember to come out to have regular meals.
The kitchenette in the parents’ sitting room can be used for food brought in from home; we do have a microwave where you can re-heat your meal. Snacks are available in the sitting room, free for you and hot meals provision can be facilitated by the unit team.
The hospital also has a coffee shop, next to the restaurant and a shop selling sandwiches and hot drinks at the main entrance. There is a league of friends shop at the main entrance that sells snacks, sandwiches and microwavable food.
Neonatal outreach and discharge planning team.
Team NOAH
Who are we?
We are a team of neonatal nurses and clinical support workers based on the Oliver Fisher neonatal unit. We will support you and your family to make sure you feel confident and ready to take your baby home. We also visit some babies in their family home once discharged.
What services do we offer?
Planning to take your baby home
Parent-craft, health education and promotion
Supporting families and babies going home on oxygen
Our normal working hours are Monday - Sunday between 7.30am - 4.30pm
We can be contacted on 01634 825124/825125
or
07775706941