Neonatal Outreach Team: Going home

How can we help?

The Neonatal Outreach Team provides specialist healthcare to babies in their home. Our team is made up of neonatal nurses and a specialist nursery nurse.

We can:

• Liaise with different healthcare teams and agencies to provide appropriate care to your family.
• Provide education, information and support throughout your hospital stay and at home.
• Support families who have/will have complex health and social needs.
• Provide ongoing support to babies requiring nasogastric (NGT) feeds at home.
• Weigh babies and revise feeding plans within the home setting.
• Support the establishment of breastfeeding a premature baby at home.
• Monitor jaundice levels in the home environment following special care.
• Care for babies requiring home oxygen.
• Lead on nurse led ward round in SCBU rooms.

The care provided by the Neonatal Outreach Team can last from a few days up to six weeks depending on gestation and needs. We have close links to the Paediatric Community Team and will refer to them any families who require support long term.

Benefits

• You are able to establish feeding in the home environment.
• You feel confident and well supported during the transition from hospital to home.
• All your baby’s health needs are met once home.

Hours of service

We operate a seven day service apart from bank holidays 08:00 to 16:00. We are available for home visits and NGT replacements, telephone support and outpatient clinic visits.

The Neonatal Outreach Team will also meet up with you regularly during your baby’s hospital stay to provide support and prepare you for discharge.

Criteria for going home

• Babies must be able to manage two breast or bottle feeds without NGT top ups in at least one 24 hour period. This must be consistent for a 48 hour period
• Nasogastric tube feeding at home competencies must be completed and signed by the parent.
• There is no lower weight restriction but the weight must be stable upon discharge.
• There should be two jaundice measurements below the treatment line before discharge.
• Home oxygen requirement set and the baby’s condition stable before discharge.
• Infant basic life support training must be undertaken by all parents if appropriate prior to discharge.
• Babies must be able to maintain their temperature for at least 48 hours without the use of a ‘hotcot’.
• All babies must be registered with their GP before discharge.

Other follow-ups your baby may have

• Blood testing in the rapid referral clinic
• prolonged jaundice screening
• neonatal follow up in six to eight weeks in clinic
• eye clinic (ROP screening)
• audiology clinic at eight months of age
• neurodevelopmental clinic
• cardiology follow-up
• surgical follow-up
• hip scan.

Contacts/further information

Tel: 01223 216079 (Outreach Team Answerphone)

Tel: 01223 245151 bleep 156 2279 (For out of hours advice)

Please ask a member of the nursing team if you live within the Neonatal Outreach Team area.