Information for families about the Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Family Liaison Service on the Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PICU/NICU)

The development of this service was initially both parent and staff driven after feedback showed that staff felt that they were often so busy caring for the critically ill child that they were unable to devote as much time to the family as was often required.

The Family Liaison service is comprised of a team of senior nurses across the floor providing practical and emotional support to parents, carers and other family members. We can be contacted on PICU-NICU-FLN@gosh.nhs.uk or 0207 405 9200 ext. 8207.

An established psychosocial team is able to address the needs of the family as a whole unit, from admission, during their stay and through to discharge from PICU/NICU. The team includes a psychologist, social worker, chaplains, and play specialist. As well as supporting families within PICU/NICU, the Family Liaison Nurses are developing other services such as:

• outreach within the hospital for planned PICU/NICU stays and tours for families pre admission
• outreach and tours for parents antenatally for planned NICU admissions after birth
• staff support
• teaching
• improving patient and family facilities on PICU/NICU
• bereavement services

We are continually working on the development of the service through close links with the psychosocial team and other areas of the Trust to ensure that the service continues to meet needs and be a valued addition to the PICU/NICU environment.

When your baby/child has been admitted to the intensive care unit it is a huge shock and a bewildering experience. To help you we have provided some useful information:

• You are able to visit your baby/child any time day or night except during the morning ward round
• We provide everything for your child but it would help if you bought in your child's usual toiletries
• For some children a few small toys and photographs may be comforting.
• Visitors other than parent have restrictive visiting times depending on the unit. and they must be in the presence of a parent
• NICU has a period of quiet time between 2-4pm when only parents should visit
• Only 3 visitors are allowed at a child's bedside at any time, including the parent. No children except siblings are allowed to visit on PICU/NICU

Free accommodation is available for up to two parents/carers during the child’s stay. You should bring your own toiletries. We advise that other children are left with relatives or friends at home. If this is not an option there is limited family accommodation, subject to availability.

Great Ormond Street Hospital actively supports breast feeding. If you need to express milk, there is a breast feeding room located near NICU/PICU and several breast pumps are available to use at your baby’s bedside. You will need to bring your own breast pump for use in hospital accommodation

If you are breast feeding or expressing, you are entitled to £5 per day of breast feeding vouchers that can be used in the Lagoon Cafeteria. The vouchers card can be picked up from the Social Work Department on Level 2 and your baby’s nurse can assist you with these arrangements

In addition, there is also a neonatal nurse advisor available during the week who offers support for expressing and breastfeeding mothers

Midwives hold a clinic in Caterpillar Outpatients on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 2.30-4pm who have recently had babies (within the last 28 days)

The Lagoon cafeteria is on Level 2. It serves hot and cold food and drinks. Within a 10 minute walk of the hospital is a shopping centre and a supermarket.

Details of schemes, permits and information about parking around the hospital are available at the hospital front desk, by the main entrance. Parents whose child is on PICU/NICU can request a car parking permit.