We are dedicated to ensuring your time with us is as comfortable and safe as possible. Upon arrival, your midwife will speak with you about the layout of the ward and discuss your individual care plan to ensure we meet your needs throughout your stay.
If you have any questions, concerns, or simply need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to any member of our caring staff. We are here for you, and if you require an interpreter, we are more than happy to arrange this for you, just let us know.
To make your stay feel more like home, we encourage you to bring your own comfortable clothes and those for your baby, as well as essential items to support your care. We encourage you to bring disposable nappies, cotton wool, sanitary towels, a towel for after showering, and any toiletries you may need.
We hope you have a peaceful and comfortable stay with us. We are here to support you every step of the way.
Patient contact
Address
Maternity Care Unit
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing
3rd Floor
University College Hospital
25 Grafton Way
London, WC1E 6DB
- Each bedspace is equipped with a call buzzer located on a handset above the bed. Please use this buzzer if you have urgent queries or if you need assistance and are unable to reach a staff member directly. We're here to support you, and this helps us respond quickly to your needs.
- Your bed is electric for your comfort, and the handset can be found at the side or base of the bed, allowing you to adjust the position for your comfort and ease.
- You will have a bedside cabinet to store your personal belongings. To ensure easy access for staff and to maintain safety, we kindly ask that you keep your belongings to a minimum. We recommend not bringing valuable items to the ward, as we cannot take responsibility for any loss or damage.
- The postnatal ward consists of 39 beds, including 3 side rooms. These rooms are allocated based on clinical need and cannot be paid for. We understand the importance of privacy and will do our best to accommodate your needs, but the rooms are allocated in the best interest of patient care.
| Matron | Dark blue uniform with red trim |
| Senior midwives | Dark blue uniform |
| Deputy sisters | Dark blue uniform |
| MIdwives | Light blue uniform with white trim |
| Infant feeding team | Dark green uniform with white trim |
| Nursery nurses | Dark green uniform with white trim |
| Maternity support workers | Light green uniform with white trim |
| Students | White or blue and white striped uniform |
All staff should have hospital identification badge with their name and job title.
You may also be cared for by students, alongside their mentors as part of their clinical placements. If you do not wishto be cared for by a student, please let a staff member know.
- Each four-bedded bay is equipped with toilet and shower facilities, exclusively for women and birthing people. We ask that visitors (including partners) kindly use the designated restrooms, located near the MCU reception and on the ground floor.
- Our beds are reserved for women and birthing people only. We encourage visitors to make use of the comfortable recliner chairs provided in the patient areas, ensuring space and privacy for those receiving care.
- While we are unable to provide food or drinks to visitors, there are vending machines conveniently located throughout the hospital. For patients, tea and coffee are served at regular intervals to help you feel refreshed throughout your stay.
- Fresh water is always available to both patients and visitors. You can easily access the water fountain located in reception throughout your stay.
- Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we work to maintain a supportive, respectful, and comfortable environment for all.
| Times are appoximate | |
|---|---|
| Breakfast |
8:00 - 9:00 During this time, you will be offered a menu to choose lunch and dinner. A hostess will collect your choices. |
| Tea round | 10:30am |
| Lunch | 12:00 |
| Tea round | 12:30 - 13:30 |
| Collection of trays | 13:00 |
| Tea and biscuits | 15:30 |
| Evening meal | 17:00 |
| Tea round | 17:45 |
| Tray collection | 18:00 |
| Tea round | 19:30 |
- If you are going to be away from the ward during these times, please inform your midwife who will arrange for a cold meal to be saved for you, or a snack box ordered on your return.
- Alternatively, your family can bring food for you from home/outside if you wish.
- Unfortunately, due to health and safety regulations we are unable to re-heat any food or drink, or store in a fridge.
- To ensure a peaceful, restful environment for everyone, visiting hours are from 2:00pm - 8:00pm. We kindly ask that visitors respect these times and leave promptly when visiting hours end.
- For the comfort and privacy of all, we ask that no more than two visitors, which can include your partner and children (your children only), be present at any one time.
- We recognise the importance of support during your stay. Therefore, your named partner may stay with you for you 24 hours for the duration of your stay. We understand that there may be times when your partner cannot be withyou. If this happens, we encourage you to have a conversation with your midwife to discuss the possibility of designating an alternative named partner. Please note that the visiting policy will remain consistent, even in these circumstances.
- For your named partner, between 10:00pm and 8:00am, we ask that they remain in the hospital as the maternity unit entrance doors are locked during these hours for safety and security.
- In the interests of infection control, we kindly ask that flowers are not brought onto the ward. Your understanding helps us maintain a safe and restorative environment for everyone.
- The ward can be accessed by using the intercom. Inform a member of staff who you are visiting and please do not allow anyone to follow you on to the ward. This is for the safety of everyone.
- Fire alarms are tested every Wednesday morning. We also have a generator test at 8:00am on a Wednesday morning. You will be informed by ward staff if you need to do anything
- The Trust provides a chaplaincy/spiritual service to all patients. If you would like to access this service, please ask a member of staff who will be pleased to contact them for you.
- Our goal is to make the ward a calming and restful space for everyone. To help maintain this peaceful atmosphere, we kindly ask that you keep the volume of phones and other devices low. Whenever possible, please use headphones to ensure minimal disruption.
- We also ask that you remain mindful of fellow new parents in your bay, especially when having conversations at night. Your consideration helps everyone get the rest they need.
- We have a zero-tolerance policy for any verbal or physical abuse. We are committed to ensuring that all patients, staff, and visitors feel respected, safe, and valued at all times.
- Your care schedule, length of stay, and the multi-disciplinary team involved in your care will be determined by factors such as your mode of delivery, medical history, pregnancy conditions, and any neonatal care plans. This ensures that you receive the most tailored and appropriate care for you and your baby.
- Upon your arrival on the ward, your midwife will go over your individual care plan with you, so you understand what to expect.
- Please remember that care plans may evolve over time to best support your needs, and we will keep you fully informed of any changes. Your comfort and understanding of your care is our priority, and we will ensure you are involved in every decision about your care.
- During your stay, it’s important for us to know about any regular medication you take. Our Pharmacy Team or your midwife will take a drug history and ensure that any necessary medications are prescribed for you.
- We kindly ask that you do not bring any pain relief medication from home. For your safety and to ensure effective care, only staff will provide your pain relief medication during your stay. This helps us monitor your dosage and manage your pain appropriately.
- If at any time you feel your pain is not well managed, please let your midwife know. Your comfort is our priority, and we will work with you to adjust your pain relief as needed.
- For your baby's safety, a security alarm tag will be placed on your baby’s ankle after birth. This is standard practice for all babies born at UCLH.
- Please ensure that the alarm remains securely on your baby’s ankle. If it comes off, kindly inform a member of staff so we can promptly reattach it.
- For your baby’s protection, the tag must remain on while they are on the ward, and it will be safely removed when you are discharged and ready to leave the unit.
Safe sleeping for your baby
- To ensure the safest sleeping environment for your baby, we recommend placing them in their cot, lying flat on their back, with their feet at the bottom of the cot. Keep the blankets tucked under their armpits to prevent them from moving up over their face. For extra guidance, we recommend visiting the Lullaby Trust for more information on safer sleep practices.
Supporting you through parenthood
- We understand that caring for a newborn can be challenging, and we are here to support you every step of the way. If you are feeling overwhelmed by things like your baby’s crying, there are helpful resources available. You can visit ICON for advice on coping with crying babies.
- We understand that moving from hospital to home is an important step in your recovery, and we are here to support you throughout this process. Once you are ready to be discharged, we are unable to provide a hospital bed on the postnatal ward
- Many women find comfort in returning to their familiar home environment, where they can continue their recovery and get adequate rest. However, if you live a significant distance from the hospital or if transport is a concern, we encourage you to explore accommodation options closer to the hospital. In certain circumstances, the neonatal unitmay be able to offer parent accommodation in one of its two designated 'rooming-in' rooms.’ Please note, this is limited and should be discussed directly with the team caring for your baby.
- We recommend discussing your options with your midwife, who will help guide you through the process and ensure the best support is in place for both you and your baby.
- As part of your discharge, your midwives will complete a thorough checklist to make sure all aspects of your ongoing care are in place. While this process may take some time and certain steps are outside our control, please be assured that staff are committed to completing your discharge as efficiently and smoothly as possible.
- Once your discharge paperwork is ready, you may be asked to leave your bedspace and wait in the discharge lounge, particularly if you’re waiting for transport home or for medications to take with you.
- Rest assured, your GP and local midwife will be informed when you and your baby are going home. After you return home, your local midwife will reach out to you within 48 hours to arrange a personalised care program for both you and your baby.
- Your midwife will also give you a contact number for your community midwife team, should you need assistance. If you have not heard from the community midwife within this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 020 3456 7890 ext. 76305/76308 and we will ensure the support you need is provided.
We care about your experience and are constantly working to improve services for our patients and families. Your feedback will improve our services for everyone. There are many ways you can feedback to us:
- Friends and Family Test – a quick and anonymous way to give your views after receiving NHS care or treatment.
- Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) - a feedback forum for expectant and new parents.
- If you have concerns about your care, please speak to the ward team, midwife in charge or the ward managers.You can also speak to the matron.
- You can call or email PALS on 020 3447 3042
If you feel that you are not satisfied with any aspect of your hospital stay you can contact complaints:
