At Southmead Hospital NICU we are proud of our extensive facilities available for family use.

Our unit philosophy is to provide a high standard of family-centred care from admission to discharge, with mutual respect and open communication promoted at all times. We offer comprehensive educational support to both our medical and nursing staff to maintain the highest quality of care with a strong evidence base

We have a family room central to the unit which, when your baby is stable enough can be used to have family time together away from others.  This room is also used for parent craft such as baby massage, bathing and resuscitation skills. It has oxygen and air ports, providing a safe environment away from the busy clinical nursery rooms for planned parent and baby interaction sessions and expressing or breastfeeding.

We have a parent coffee room with a television, sofa and food preparation facilities. We also have a private enclosed garden/outdoor dining area and a lovely children’s playroom for supervised sibling use.

Here at Southmead NICU we are able to offer a range of accommodation for the parents of babies in our care. We have family accommodation located close to the hospital with five double bedroom en-suite rooms for the use of parents who live outside the Bristol area. We also offer parents the opportunity to ‘room in’ with their baby prior to discharge home.  We have three double bedrooms directly on the unit so you can ease yourselves into parenthood by spending a few nights with your baby, knowing staff are close by to support you. There are bathroom facilities with a shower available for use when staying on the unit.

Supporting you and your baby

We provide financial input for families during their NICU journey. Each family receives free parking while their baby is on NICU and one meal voucher per parent per day to help with extra costs while families are in hospital.

We have a dedicated multi-disciplinary team providing high-quality care for sick and premature babies. We have a firm belief in learning and professional development, and we ensure that a motivated and enthusiastic team is caring for your baby. We have dedicated teams of specialist nurses in education, breastfeeding and developmental care who have protected hours to ensure the needs of parents and staff are met. We want to work with parents and encourage them to be partners in their baby’s care and involved in the decision-making process.

Take a virtual tour of the unit

The South West Neonatal Network has produced virtual tours of all the units in the region to help families familiarise themselves with the NICUs and facilities.

These tours take you through the unit and provide information about some of the key areas. Take a look inside.

Specialty Lead

Dr Anna O'brien
Email: Anna.O'Brien@nbt.nhs.uk 

General Manager

Christina Fletcher
Email: Christina.Fletcher@nbt.nhs.uk 

Support manager

Alexandria Davis
Email: Alexandria.Davis@nbt.nhs.uk 

Specialty Manager

Anna Bassadone
Email: Anna.Bassadone@nbt.nhs.uk

Consultants

Dr Sarah-Jane Bailey

Dr Philip Braude

Dr Amy Crees

Dr Mark Devine

Dr Andrea Joughin

Dr Rachel Fewkes

Dr Thomas Mayes

Dr Sarah McCracken

Dr Emma Mitchell

Dr Anna O'Brien

Dr Katie Rainey

Dr Edward Richfield

Dr David Shipway

Dr Seema Srivastava

Dr Daniel Thornton

Dr Sue Wensley

Dr Katherine Walsh

Dr Heather Woodcraft

Senior Nursing Staff

Deputy Divisonal Director of Nursing

Rory Spanton

Matron Acute Frailty Unity

Marianne Carter

Matron 9A & 9B

Shelly Panayiotou

Matron Elgar House

Jet O'Neill

Ward Sister 32A (Acute Frailty Unit)

Lisa Herrington

Ward Sister 28B (Short Stay)

Michelle Down

Ward Sister 9A (Complex Care)

Hannah Morris

Ward Sister 9B (Complex Care)

Lalu Abraham

The department also provides a complete Medical Photography service to external customers including Universities, Solicitors, Councils and Police among others. 

Private Clinical & Medical Legal Photography & Video recording
We can provide Medical Legal reprints suitable for evidence in court as well as arrange a dedicated sitting or filming session to document current scarring etc. 

Please contact us to discuss specific requirements or request our price list.

The Medical Photography department provides images for use in treating patients, teaching and for publication.  The service includes medical photography and video recording.

Why do I need medical photography / video?
There are a number of reasons a clinician may have asked us to take your photograph/recording, generally we are called to document your condition to help to provide the best treatment for you. The photographs/recordings taken form an accurate and up-to-date record of your condition, which can be used as a basis for monitoring your progress and for planning the best care pathway.

The areas to be recorded have been indicated on the request form. We will discuss the photographic views or recording with you before taking the photographs or video recording. You may be asked to remove items of clothing, jewellery or make-up.

Staff would like you to feel as comfortable as possible. Please feel free to ask your photographer if you have any questions or concerns.

Who will photograph me?
You will be photographed by an experienced Medical Photographer. We try to have both male and female photographers, please ask your photographer or at reception if you would prefer to be photographed by someone of the same sex. A friend or relative can accompany you if you wish, or we can provide a chaperone..

Do I have a choice?
Yes you do. If you do not wish to be photographed it will not affect your treatment or care in any way.

What happens to the photographs / video?

The photographs/recordings are taken as part of your health record, and remain on our secure imaging system.  If you have had photographs/recordings taken at another hospital, we may receive them to provide the staff involved in your care the progress of your condition.

You will have been asked to sign a ‘Consent to Medical Photographs/Recordings’ form. According to the level of consent you agree with, your photographs or video recording will be used for one or more of the following:

Level 2: Your medical records only
Level 3: Your medical records; NHS teaching and medical training
Level 4: Your medical records; NHS teaching and medical training; medical publications

A clinician may wish to use your photographs/recordings for teaching purposes such as teaching NHS healthcare staff about a particular condition. Or they may want to use the photographs for teaching other patients about the treatment options or outcomes of a medical intervention. Clinicians may want to use the photographs/recordings for publication into a medical journal or text book. Your photographs/recordings would not be used for any of these purposes without your direct written consent. Should you choose to give your consent to any of these options and you then change your mind, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time.

If you have any questions about consent or confidentiality please ask your photographer or contact Medical Photography using the details below.

If you have not signed your ‘Consent to medical photographs/recordings’ form please tell the Medical Photographer when you attend the department.

Can I have a copy?
Yes, you can request copies using the Trust’s Subject Access Request form.

Medical legal photographs and video recordings

If your solicitor needs copies of photographs and video recordings taken by the department please ask them make a Subject Access Request.

We can also take medical legal photographs and video recordings for compensation claims, please contact the department for further information and our price list.

North Bristol NHS Trust's (NBT) Medical Photography department provides photography and video recordings.

Clinicians may refer patients for photography and video to:

• Brunel building, Southmead Hospital, Level 3, Gate 38, where there are 2 purpose built studios
• On location in wards, theatres and clinics.

If you would like more information or have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The Medical Photography department undertakes a wide variety of both clinical and non-clinical photography and video recording. The department also offers an ophthalmic service including OCT and fundus photography.

Patients are either referred to the department, where we have studio and ophthalmic facilities, or we also visit wards, theatres, clinics and outpatients departments. 

Patients attending for photography at the Medical Photography department, G38 in the Brunel building do not need to book an appointment and are seen on a first come first served basis. If you have been referred with a ‘Consent to medical photography/recordings’ form then please bring this with you. Please arrive between 9.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and 9.30am and 4pm on Friday.

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All staff regularly participate in additional training. Some staff work in rotational posts that offer movement between specialities in order to develop a broad skill base.

All Physiotherapists working within the trust are fully qualified and have completed a three or four-year degree or diploma and are registered with the Health Professions Council.

Some physiotherapists have gone on to complete further postgraduate training and may have Masters of Science (MSc) or other degrees.

Head of Physiotherapy
Kat Binns
Kathryn.Binns@nbt.nhs.uk

• We have a fully equipped gym and offer rehabilitation and specialist classes.
• We have a Hydrotherapy pool for rehabilitation.
• We deliver specialised Vestibular rehabilitation services with close links to audiology.
• We have close relationships with orthopaedic and rheumatology consultants.
• We are involved in National Research Trials e.g. MINT trial researching whiplash disorders.
• Several staff are recognised nationally as lecturers in their specialist areas at both under and postgraduate levels.

North Bristol NHS Trust is the main centre for elective (planned) orthopaedic surgery for Bristol and its surrounding areas and we offer a comprehensive service. This includes rehabilitation following complex joint reconstruction, oncology resection, primary and revision joint surgery and Joint stabilising surgery.

North Bristol NHS Trust is the regional centre for renal care and we offer a dedicated renal physiotherapy service.

• We have an excellent dedicated inpatient amputee service with close links to the Disablement Services Centre.
• We are a specialist site for all medical respiratory services in North Bristol.
• We have well-equipped inpatient gyms.
• We offer a specialised cardiology physiotherapy service.
• We offer specialist lecturing to undergraduates on amputee rehabilitation and orthopaedics and trauma.
• We deliver a specialised stroke rehabilitation service that is led by a clinical specialist physiotherapist.

Extended scope practitioners are physiotherapy clinical specialists, with an extended scope of practice. This means that they can undertake duties such as ordering investigations like X-rays or blood tests and can refer to other health care professionals.

At North Bristol NHS Trust we have 11 Extended Scope Practitioners working alongside our rheumatology and orthopaedic consultants, with additional staff employed in neurosciences and accident and emergency.

We also have several staff working as advanced practitioners and clinical specialists in different areas e.g. stroke.

North Bristol NHS Trust Physiotherapy provides a skilled and dynamic service with a commitment to delivering high quality, evidence based care. We maintain our excellent standards by having a commitment to training and development, ensuring that all staff are highly skilled.

We have excellent facilities and deliver our services in variety of different areas including: 

• Medical Rehabilitation including stroke and neurological problems
• Head Injury 
• Surgical Rehabilitation including vascular surgery
• Intensive Care and Respiratory
• Burns and Plastics
• Hands
• Pain Services
• Major Trauma
• Acute and Community paediatrics
• Musculoskeletal outpatients
• Elective orthopaedic surgery e.g. hip replacements Rheumatology
• Women’s health.