Our Service
Rooming-In
During your stay in hospital, your baby will remain in a cot by your bed unless any special treatment is required. On the ward, the midwives will continue to help plan your care and that of your baby.
Baby Examination
At birth a general examination of all babies is undertaken by the attending midwife. A further examination is conducted by a paediatrician or specially trained midwife within 72 hours.
Security
Your baby’s safety is a priority. 24-hour security cameras operate at all exits in the Maternity Unit. All wards are fitted with secure access.
Most people who call to your home will be genuine but sometimes someone may turn up unannounced with the intention of tricking you to let them into your home. These are bogus callers. Bogus callers sometimes claim to be health visitors, social workers, midwives or other health and social care staff in order to get into your home. Make sure you don’t let them in.
If you’re expecting a caller at home, remember to check their identification card. Health care staff will not mind you checking their identity. If you are in doubt, don’t let them into your home. If you feel threatened by a caller or think that a bogus caller has visited, call the police immediately.
Smoke Free Policy
The Western Trust Smoke Free Policy means that smoking is not permitted anywhere on its grounds or premises. This includes buildings, entrances, doorways, pavements, internal roads, bus / bicycle shelters, cars and car parks.
Smoking is not allowed on site for patients, service users, staff, members of the public and contracted workers. This is a step further than the previous policy as now there is no shelter where patients can smoke and staff are not allowed to smoke in their cars on site. Smoking areas such as the smoking shelter at Altnagelvin Hospital have been removed in advance of introducing this ban.
If you want to give up smoking, the Western Trust Stop Smoking Service can give you free advice and support to help you quit – just phone 0800 917 9388. There are drop – in stop smoking clinics based in your local community and you’re four times more likely to quit with our Smokefree service.
Visiting Times
Family and friends are requested to visit between the hours of: 3:00pm to 4:00pm and 7.00pm to 8:30pm
Partners can visit the ward from 1pm-9.30pm.
- Please Do Not Visit if You Have: Vomiting, Diarrhoea
- Coughs, Cold or Flu
- Any other infectious conditions
Visitor Advice to Promote Patient Well-being
- Keep to the allocated visiting times
- Limit visit to two people for each patient at any one time
- Do not sit on the bed or touch your relative’s / friend’s wounds, drips or drains
- Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult – children should only visit close relatives. Children under 2 should not visit
Going Home
You may transfer home as soon as you feel well enough, which can be facilitated directly from the Delivery Suite within a few hours following birth. If you have had a more complicated labour or delivery, or a caesarean section birth, your postnatal stay may be longer.
Your community midwife will visit you at home within 24 hours to agree a plan of care and schedule further visits. The community midwife will then visit you at home regularly until your baby is ten days old, or longer if necessary. The midwife will check both you and your baby at each visit and offer support and advice. The neonatal screening test (heel prick) will be performed when you baby is five days old.