Other staff involved with the unit

Specialist doctors

As well as the doctors and nurses who are based within the neonatal unit you may meet other professionals who can be called upon to help in the care of your baby. These include:

• ophthalmologists - specialist eye doctors;
• radiologists - specialists in use of scanning machines and in the interpretation of scans and x-rays;
• cardiologists - specialist heart doctors;
• surgeons - specialists in the treatment problems which may require an operation;
• neurologists - specialists who deal in problems with the function of the brain and nervous system;
• gastroenterologists - specialists who deal in problems affecting the gut and organs such as the liver;
• geneticists - specialists in the recognition and investigation of problems which we may inherit from our parents;
• pathologists - specialists who carry out diagnostic work by studying effects of disease on the body;
• haematologists and biochemists - specialists in problems in the blood.

Other professionals:

• pharmacists - deal with all the medicines we use;
• radiographers - perform the x-rays and some of the scans;
• audiology technicians - test your baby's hearing before you go home;
• dieticians - deal with any special needs your baby may have with his food;
• spiritual advisers - offer support with religious or spiritual concerns.

Others do not have any direct contact with the babies on the unit but provide a vital service none the less:

• laboratory staff - perform tests on samples we send to the laboratories;
• medical physics engineers - keep all our specialist equipment in good working order;
• domestic staff - responsible for maintaining monitored levels of cleanliness for floors, windows etc.