Midwifery Services
Emergency Obstetric Facilities
The Maternity Unit at the Portland Hospital delivers over 2,000 babies a year. Specialist medical care is needed for some newborns and expectant mothers and we have a range of emergency facilities onsite to ensure peace of mind for parents-to-be.
Supporting the Maternity Unit is a dedicated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and Transitional Care (TC) provision for all babies born from 30 weeks of gestation. Parents are encouraged to spend as much time as possible in these units and to share in the care of their baby.
The hospital also has an adult High Dependency Unit (HDU) for mothers who may require a higher level of monitoring before, during or after delivery. The high ratio of nursing care and midwifery at the hospital is increased to one-to-one in critical areas such as the NICU, the Labour Ward and HDU.
As all pregnant women are pre-booked to deliver at The Portland Hospital, the Consultant Obstetrician and/or midwife in charge of your antenatal care will carry out a comprehensive pre-assessment of your needs prior to delivery. Where medical or other factors deem you particularly high risk you can rest assured that your Consultant Obstetrician will direct your care to the most appropriate specialist unit whether NHS or private, for your prevailing medical condition. This may involve a comprehensive multidisciplinary planning meeting where by your medical conditions are discussed with all the consultants and specialist staff involved in your care, to plan your safe delivery at the Portland, or it may involve transferring your care and delivery to an appropriate specialist unit.
High Dependency Unit (HDU)
The High Dependency Unit (HDU), situated within the Labour Ward, is for women who require more intensive observation, treatment and care before or during labour or post delivery. The HDU consists of specialist monitoring equipment for both mother and baby.
The High Dependency Unit provides critical care for women with problems such as high blood pressure/pre-eclampsia, heavy bleeding from the womb/placenta or with pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or kidney problems. The HDU is sometimes used for twin deliveries.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
The Portland Hospital is the only private maternity unit in London with its own, on-site NICU for premature and ill babies. The newly refurbished NICU on the sixth floor offers a fully equipped intensive care area and is designed to care for any baby from the gestational age of 30 weeks.
Babies who are born prematurely may need assistance with breathing, feeding and keeping warm, and the earlier they are born, the more help they are likely to need. The NICU has the specialist nursing staff, consultants and equipment to look after babies born early or who become ill after birth.
Common medical conditions seen in the NICU unit include:
- Jaundice
- Infections
- Breathing problems
- Heart problems
- Feeding issues
- Low blood sugar
- Low birth weight
The Portland Hospital also offers guest rooms so that parents have the option to stay onsite while their baby is being treated in the NICU.
Babies are not born before 30 weeks (or 32 weeks for twins) at The Portland Hospital. If a woman is due to deliver before these dates then, where possible, she will be transferred to a specialist NHS hospital before birth. If babies have to be delivered at the Portland before these dates they will be transferred to a nearby specialist NHS unit. Very sick babies or those with specific health problems, may also be transferred to high-level NHS units.
The Portland Hospital can also arrange for babies born within the NHS requiring neonatal services to be transferred to our care.
Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU)
The onsite Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) provides care for newborn babies who require medical treatment due to being born early or because they have become unwell. The SCBU consists of 5 cots and parents are encouraged to stay with their babies within the hospital.
The difference between the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the Special Care Baby Unit is based on the level of care the baby needs. The care given in SCBU is less intensive than that given in a NICU. On occasions, babies who are very ill start their care in NICU and then transfer to SCBU as their condition improves.
Transitional Care (TC)
Transitional Care allows babies who require treatment or monitoring which exceeds standard routine care for a newborn to be cared for by the obstetric team in close proximity to Mother on the postnatal floor. This prevents unnecessary separation of mother and baby and reduces the need for newborns to be admitted to the special care baby unit.
The decision to admit a baby to Transitional Care lies with the consultant paediatrician and is closely discussed with parents of the newborn.
Babies who are suitable for Transitional Care include those who have been discharged from NICU or SCBU and who are well or are improving, such as:
- Babies who require phototherapy for jaundice but are otherwise well.
- Babies of 35-36 weeks gestational age (slightly preterm) who do not require cardiac monitoring and with no other problems.
- Babies weighing 1.8kg and/or above who are small for their gestational age.
- Babies who require additional support to maintain their temperature through a heated cot due to hypothermia (body temperature less than 36°C)
- Babies who require the use of tube feeds until breastfeeding/bottle feeding is established.
- Babies who require regular observations e.g. heart rate or temperature
- Babies of mothers with well controlled insulin-dependent or gestational diabetes.
- Babies requiring intravenous antibiotics where the baby appears well.
- Babies that require frequent observations for Group B Strep, prolonged ruptured of membranes and mild respiratory distress.
- Babies with a lower than normal blood glucose (hypoglycaemia).
