Hand washing by staff and parents is the most important way of preventing infection and spreading of germs in the neonatal unit. 

There are wash areas at the entrance to the unit. Please remove watches, coats and jumpers and wash your hands before entering the nursery.

We ask families to wash their hands when:

• you arrive in the unit
• before and after touching the baby. At your baby’s bedside, you can also use alcohol hand-rub to clean your hands before and after touching your baby.
• before and after changing a nappy or going to the toilet
• before and after eating or touching food
• after coughing or sneezing.

Singing a song like ‘happy birthday to you’ is a way to make sure you have washed your hands for long enough. 

The quiet time is from 12 noon to 3pm each day. During this time we try to give babies a break from nursing and medical procedures. 

We prefer only parents to be present at this time. 

Supervised visiting by brothers and sisters is also welcomed. However, if your children are not well, please do not let them visit their new sibling. 

Relatives and friends are also welcome, but can only visit with you. If this is not possible, and you would like your relative or friend to visit without you being there, please let the nurse caring for your baby know. 

Visitors are not able to visit without your presence or consent. There is a limited amount of space in the nursery so only two visitors (including you) are able to be at your baby’s cot.

Visitor guidelines are subject to change based on public health orders to help protect you, your baby and other patients, families and staff. From time to time alterations to unit access are necessary, our team will notify you of these. 
 

We like to keep you informed about your baby’s progress at all times. Please make sure we have up-to-date contact numbers at your baby’s bedside. 

We don't give information about your baby’s condition or progress to other relatives or friends. You can help reduce the time we spend on the telephone by asking relatives and friends not to ring the unit, but to obtain information about your baby from you or a friend or relative you nominate.

We provide each family with their own diary to enable their journey during their time in the nursery to be documented by you and by the nurses. 

A craft box is available for you to use to decorate your baby’s diary. 

We have a digital camera in Grace, your baby’s nurse can print pictures of your baby for you to place in their diary during their stay. You are free to take photos of your baby with your own camera at any time during their stay in the unit. 

Please do not take photos of other babies or staff without asking.