Child Health
Special Care Baby Unit
The Special Care Baby Unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital cares for babies with a number of medical conditions. Some babies on the unit are born prematurely, others are born with breathing difficulties or feeding problems and some have abnormalities at birth. Whatever the problem, parents, friends and family can be assured that the Special Care staff have met it before, have the experience to deal with it and will fully explain what is happening.
One of the SCBU cots
Also known as the Neonatal Unit, the Special Care Baby Unit admits approximately 250 babies each year. It has 16 cots, which are split into three areas of Intensive Care, High Dependency and Special Care. Each area is equipped and heated differently in accordance with the medical needs of its babies. The Unit cares only for babies with medical problems. Those who require surgery are transferred to a regional unit, which is usually St Mary's Hospital in Manchester, or for babies with heart conditions, Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool.
Where is the SCBU?
The Special Care Baby Unit is part of the Trust's Directorate of Child Health and is situated on the first floor of the Women's Unit, away from the hospital main corridor and the children's ward. The department of maternity is also situated in the Women's Unit, which means that Special Care staff can work closely with those who work on the delivery suite and post-natal wards in Maternity to offer the most comprehensive and professional care possible for the babies.
See also Maternity
Visiting the SCBU
There are open visiting times for parents
Premature and sick babies are prone to infection so any visitors other than parents need to be kept to a minimum. However, the unit does have open visiting and parents can visit as often as they wish.
Visitors to the unit can only gain access if accompanied by a known parent or guardian of the baby. The doors are kept locked at all times and CCTV monitors all entrances and exits. Open visiting for parents. All other visitirs must be accompanied by a parent.
Facilities for Parents
Play Area
The admission of a baby to the Special Care Baby Unit can place a lot of stress upon its parents and there has recently been some upgrading to the unit in order to make the facility as comfortable as possible for parents and guardians. The unit has a waiting room with a small children's play area, a comfortable purpose-designed double bedroom, a quiet room for thought or counselling which can also be transformed into a second double bedroom for parents, showering facilities and a breast feeding room. A generous donation of £4,500 will be spent on a new kitchen for parents to make their own drinks and snacks.
