Scope Of Care
- Advanced Ventilation incl. NO therapy.
- Functional Echocardiography.
- Cardiology Diagnosis.
- Cardiology Clinics
- Cranial ultrasound and MRI scans.
- EEG and aEEG facilities.
- Fetal cardiology.
- Ophthalmology including laser surgery for Retinopathy of Prematurity.
- Regional genetics service
- Specialist Neurodevelopmental Follow Up (BSID 3) of at risk infants.
- Therapeutic Hypothermia
Northern Neonatal Network Care Pathways – December 2021
City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust – Sunderland Royal Hospital
Scope of care
City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust provides neonatal services on its site at the Sunderland Royal Hospital.
The current services provided on the site are as follows :
NICU, Sunderland Royal Hospital
Current Unit capacity
7 Intensive Care cots.
9 Special Care cots.
Annual number of deliveries
3738 (April 2020 – March 2021).
Annual number of admissions
330 (April 2020 – March 2021).
Current threshold for incoming ante-natal transfers
Generally obstetricians from the eight SCBUs will routinely try to transfer <30/40 gestation mothers here as one of the four receiving NICUs in the Network. This is done by direct discussion with receiving consultant obstetricians and neonatologists if a suitable Intensive care cot is available but through the dedicated Neonatal Transfer Hotline number.
Current threshold for incoming post-natal transfers
Babies < 30/40 that have to delivered at one of the SCBUS are routinely transferred to Sunderland for Intensive Care after using the Transfer hotline according to the appropriate Care Pathway. Babies that require admission will then usually be transferred to Sunderland by the referring hospital by the regional transport service.
Other thresholds for incoming post-natal transfer
This will be discussed with Sunderland clinicians and decided on a case by case basis, but examples of babies who will generally require transfer include: any baby requiring intensive or ongoing high dependency care that is outside the gestation threshold above, HIE’s needing active cooling, some surgical cases (see below), congenital/cardiac anomalies for further assessment if they do not require immediate transfer to the Sub-Regional Unit (RVI/Freeman), babies requiring ventilation or TPN. Other babies that could normally be cared for at one of the other 3 NICUs and admitted there but cannot be accommodated because of lack of a suitable NIC cot may also be transferred here.
Transfer services provided?
No.
Routine investigations/tests/screening currently undertaken
ROP screening is performed on-site. Routine ultrasounds of the cranium are also done on site, as well as CT/MRI Scans. Other services and diagnostic facilities are listed below.
Surgical procedures undertaken and/or post-surgical care provided?
Laser surgery for advanced ROP (Retinopathy of prematurity) is provided by arrangement/referral through the consultant neonatologists/ophthalmologists.
Cooling for H.I.E undertaken?
Therapeutic cooling for babies with HIE is undertaken here and babies requiring this therapy can be transferred from one of the SCBUs if this is required/indicated after discussion with one of the neonatologists and subsequent transfer arranged via the Hotline with the regional transport service.
T.P.N. provided on-site?
Yes.
Neonatal community outreach team/services provided?
Neonatal community outreach is provided by a team of 3 community paediatric nurses who work in close liaison with the neonatal consultants. Services provided by the community outreach team included monitoring of babies who are on home oxygen and nutritional support for those babies requiring long term nasogastric tube feeding.
Transitional Care provision on-site?
There are 2 mother and baby rooms where mothers can care for their babies with support from the neonatal nursing staff. These facilities are usually used for babies who are getting ready for home or babies who are well but readmitted from the community for management of jaundice or poor feeding.
