Neonatal Care Unit

An updated revision of HPU 390 Neonatal Care Unit (Revision 7, November 2019) has been uploaded. The revised version has been informed by an extensive consultation process with clinical experts and consumer representatives. Key changes to the document include:

• general update to the content and flow of information;
• change of HPU name from ‘Intensive Care – Neonatal Special Care Nursery’ to ‘Neonatal Care Unit’ to avoid confusion with ICU and given a number of jurisdictions are moving away from the term ‘Special Care Nursery’;
• levels of service are defined as low dependency care, high dependency care and intensive care. These broad terms are used rather than numerical role delineation levels to avoid confusion associated with variations between jurisdictions;
• emphasis on ‘family integrated care’ models including support for kangaroo care (skin to skin contact), breastfeeding / expressing at the bedside and enabling parents to stay with the child as much as possible including overnight within the bay/room or in close proximity to the unit;
• model of care and associated planning and design requirements for neonatal palliative care included;
• updated SOA structure to provide recommended areas for a range of neonatal care service levels and capacities; and
• update of areas to reflect the recently revised AusHFG Neonatal Care Unit standard components.