Meet our staff

We work as a team and respect each other's professional drive to improve quality and outcomes.

Consultants

Neonatal consultants are based on the unit:

• Monday to Friday 9.00am - 10.00pm
  
• Weekends 9.00am - 5.00pm

There is always a consultant on call for emergencies outside of these hours.

Consultant team

• Dr Amit Gupta (Clinical Lead)
• Dr Eleri Adams
• Dr Mark Anthony
• Dr Charlotte Bennett
• Dr Kenny McCormick
• Dr Zoltan Molnar
• Dr Fran O'Brien
• Dr Varun Oommen
• Dr Geza Vass
• Dr Dominic Wilkinson
• Dr Katherine Wood

Each week eight consultants are on duty, so if your baby is with us for more than a few days you will get to meet many of us.

We operate a shared-care model, in which we all take responsibility for your baby's wellbeing. The consultant on duty at the time of your baby's birth is assigned for their follow-up, if necessary.

Nurses

• Nadine Purdy
  Matron
• Clare Morris
  Deputy Matron

Over 150 nurses work on the Newborn Care Unit in two 13-hour shifts daily:

• 7.30am to 8.00pm
• 7.30pm - 8.00am

There are a lot of faces to recognise, however, nurses tend to work in one area of the unit either ITU or HDU, and nursery nurses on LDU.

On consecutive days the same nurse or nursery nurse will often look after the same baby, therefore it is easier to develop a relationship with your baby's nurse/s than it might seem.

As well as nursing babies, nurses provide support to families alongside many other staff members.

Nurses' uniforms

• Matron: navy blue with red piping
• Sister: navy blue with white piping
• Deputy Sister: navy Blue
• Staff nurse: blue
• Nursery nurses: navy blue with pink piping

The nurses in charge of ITU and HDU on any given day wear yellow 'Nurse in Charge' badges.

Research nurses

We have a small team of research nurses working closely with the unit, and other research specialists associated with clinical trials and research projects.

Research today may not directly help your baby, but it is crucial for babies in the future: if you would like your baby to be involved in a clinical trial, please ask to speak to one of the research nurses.

Doctors

Registrars, junior doctors and Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (ANNP) staff the unit 24 hours.

You should begin to recognise many of them although Junior Doctors do move to other wards or hospitals to continue their training

They may attend your delivery with a senior nurse if your baby is premature or needs extra help at birth, and will accompany your baby to our unit. They are then responsible for the medical aspects of your baby's care day and night.

The medical staff works two 13-hour shifts daily:

• 9.00am - 10.00pm
• 9.00pm - 10.00am

Ward clerks

You will meet our ward clerks when you arrive. They will help to set up your facial recognition profile and our vCreate service - a secure video messaging service that lets unit staff record and send secure video updates to parents.

They have a great deal of experience and knowledge about the unit so please speak to them if you have questions.

Psychologists

Our psychologists support parents and staff. They aim to introduce themselves to all parents, but if this has not been possible please ask the nurse looking after your baby to arrange for you to meet them.

Neonatal Discharge Outreach Team (DOTs)

Tel: 01865 220409

A team of community neonatal nurses and nursery nurses are available Monday to Friday for home follow-up after discharge of extremely preterm babies and those with more complex medical needs.

Our Complex Discharge Planning Coordinator helps support families where babies leave the unit with additional needs.

Breastfeeding support

Our Neonatal Feeding Team is specially trained to support mothers with breastfeeding and expressing and also provide drop-in sessions to help with breast pump training.

One member of the Neonatal Feeding Team aims to be present each day, but all our nurses are trained to give feeding/breastfeeding advice.

For more information please visit Infant feeding

Human Milk Bank

Please visit Oxford Human Milk Bank

Therapies

Physiotherapy

Our neonatal physiotherapists are specially trained to assess and provide support for babies at risk of developmental problems and provide tailored exercises and stretches for your baby if needed.

We have a small team of Respiratory Physiotherapists, based in the Children's Hospital, to provide specialist support for babies with more long-term and complex respiratory needs.

Occupational Therapy

Our neonatal occupational therapist has expertise in positioning, neurodevelopmental assessment and developmental care and teaches parents to support their babies' needs.

Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT)

Our SaLT specialist supports babies with more complex needs to establish feeding safely and efficiently. This may include developing pre-feeding skills such as tolerance of touch around the face, encouraging sucking skills, and helping carers understand how subtly pre-term babies communicate their readiness to feed.

Other staff

Cleaners and nursery assistants

Our cleaners and nursery assistants keep the unit and equipment clean. Newborn babies, especially if premature, are at high risk of infection. Nursery assistants wear pale blue.

Pharmacist

Specialist neonatal pharmacists visit the unit to check prescriptions: they usually wear their own clothes but also a green Pharmacy lanyard.

Dietitian

Our dietitian helps ensure babies' feeding and growth are optimal, and provides dietary advice for a variety of complex but rare metabolic and gastroenterology conditions.