Neonatology

Introduction

The Neonatology Department provides inpatient and follow-up care for sick and premature (preterm) babies.

The Neonatal Unit at the L&D is one of the leading Neonatology Departments in the country and is one of only three Level 3 units in the East of England, providing specialist intensive care for the most premature and sick newborn babies. 1 in 7 babies born will need admission and support from the Neonatology Department after delivery.

We have three separate nurseries in the L&D Neonatology Department with 37 cots in total. 11 cots are in the Neonatal Intensive Care nursery, 8 cots are in the High Dependency nursery and 18 cots are in the special care nursery.

When a baby is admitted to the Neonatal Unit they will be allocated a ‘named consultant’ for the length of their stay and each day they will be allocated a named nurse to oversee their care.

Our other Maternity Services are:
Acute Gynaecology Unit
Early Pregnancy
Fetal Medicine

Referral Process

Drs Belani, Carmichael, Gowda, Nallagonda, Selkirk and Vakharia accept GP new patient referrals (<6 months for general paediatric issues) – clinics RC1, RC3, RC5, RC7, RI0, RI2.
Dr Sivakumar accepts new GP referrals for paediatric cardiology concerns – clinic HT1, Dr Somisetty accepts referrals for children up to 12 years for investigation of murmurs or family history of congenital cardiac problems – clinic SEC1.
Dr Ali accepts GP/ HV/ Midwife referrals for prolonged neonatal jaundice to the PPJC clinic to be booked through Paediatric unit (PAU).
All other clinics are for follow-up subsequent to inpatient neonatal unit stay or for issues detected on the postnatal ward and only accept GP referrals if the patient has transferred into area and needs neonatal follow-up subsequent to inpatient neonatal care in another hospital.

Procedures Provided

Procedures undertaken in our Unit include the following:

Neonatal and paediatric echocardiography.

Clinics

Clinic Type:

Neurodevelopmental follow-up (BA2)
Neonatal follow-up clinics (AR1, 091, SCB, BA3, YTU, 531, SOMS, RC2, RC4, RC6, RC8, RI1, RI3)
Neonatal/paediatric echo clinic – follow-up (HT2, SEC2) and new (SEC1, HT1)
New patient baby clinic – under 6 months (RC1, RC3, RC5, RC7, RI0, RI2)
Prolonged Jaundice clinic (PPJC)
Visiting Paediatric Cardiology clinic – Dr Andrews.

Clinic days/times: Monday AM, Tuesday AM/PM, Wednesday AM/PM, Thursday AM/PM, Friday AM

Links to tertiary centres:

Great Ormond Street Hospital
Addenbrooke’s
The Edwin Lobo Centre
Kennedy Galton Centre

Patient Information Leaflets

Clinicians - Consultants/Specialist Nurses

Luton & Dunstable University Hospital

Neonatology (Maternity Services)

Dr Mariya Karam Locum Consultant

Dr Amy Carmichael Neonatologist

Dr Srinivas Nallagonda Neonatologist

Dr Sateeshkumar Somisetty Neonatologist

Dr Sakina Ali Neonatologist

Dr Sabine Schleinitz Neonatologist

Dr Rachel Andrews Paediatric Cardiologist (GOSH)

Dr Paramasivam Sivakumar Neonatologist

Dr Lisa Selkirk Neonatologist

Dr Jogesh Kapadia Neonatologist

Dr Jennifer Birch Neonatologist/Clinical Director

Dr Jean Egyepong Neonatologist

Dr Claudia Chetcuti-Ganado Neonatologist

Dr Bharat Vakharia Neonatologist

Useful Contacts

Luton & Dunstable University Hospital

Clinical Director: Dr Jennifer Birch
[email protected]

Business Manager Michelle Hicks
[email protected]

Urgent issue contact no: Bleep 597

Bleep numbers: 597 (postnatal ward and delivery suite)

Clinic reception tel no: 01582 718293

Outpatients booking department: 01582 561385

PAU tel no: 01582 497401

Switchboard 01582 491166

General Manager Tanith Ellis
[email protected]