Special Care Baby Unit

Women’s Health Unit
Level 3, Yellow Zone
Torbay Hospital
Lowes Bridge
Torquay TQ2 7AA

Tel: 01803 654602 / 654605

Services

For babies who are small, premature or who need extra care or observation. Also for those who have difficulties when feeding. Located at the end of one of the postnatal wards. Mother and baby are nursed together, and the parents are encouraged to be involved in their baby’s care.

In the event of the baby being seriously ill, it may be necessary for you both to be transferred to a specialist unit, at one of the hospitals in the South West Peninsula. Once your initial problems are resolved, you will be able to return to Torbay.

Our service includes:

  • Care for premature and sick babies, and their mothers.
  • Breast feeding support, both within the unit and advising colleagues in the hospital and community.
  • Working towards WHO/UNICEF Baby Friendly Accreditation
  • Retinopathy screening, investigations of jaundice, blood tests, feeding management.
  • Baby Massage – taught to mothers by qualified member of staff.

We also provide a Transitional Care package which is shared between SCBU and John MacPherson ward. This is for babies that are well but requiring extra monitoring. Mothers will be able to remain with their baby at all times.

At Torbay Hospital, our Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) is a Level 1 neonatal unit. We provide specialist care for babies who need extra support but do not need intensive or high dependency care.

This includes babies born from around 32 weeks’ gestation, and full-term babies who need help with:

  • feeding
  • keeping warm
  • treatment for jaundice
  • additional monitoring
  • short-term oxygen support

For families, this usually means your baby can stay close to home while receiving safe, high-quality neonatal care. Our team works closely with parents and carers and involves you in your baby’s care.

If your baby needs more specialist support, we will arrange a transfer to a higher-level neonatal unit using the regional neonatal transport service. We will keep you informed and involved throughout. This is most often in Exeter or Plymouth, but may sometimes be further away depending on where specialist care is available at the time.

For pregnant women who may be at higher risk, your maternity team will work closely with you during pregnancy. Together, you will plan care based on your individual needs. This may include recommending birth at a hospital with more specialist neonatal services, to ensure you and your baby receive the right level of care from the start.

Profile

The Special Care Baby Unit is situated on level 3 of the Maternity Unit adjacent to the Antenatal and Postnatal Wards.

Torbay is not an intensive care neonatal unit, although there is always a nurse on duty who is trained in Neonatal Intensive Care. Babies who need more support than Torbay can provide, are stabilised and transferred, usually to Exeter’s Neonatal Unit.

Further information regarding Child Health.

Virtual tour

Parents whose children are born early or need specialist care can take a virtual tour of Torbay Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit.

SEND Local Offer

The purpose of the ‘Local Offer’ is to provide clear accessible information about services available in the area from birth to 25 across education, health and social care for parents and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.