NICU - Derian House

Preston Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Derian House Perinatal Service team have been working together now for several years, to offer specialised support and care for families and babies on the neonatal unit who have been:

• Born extremely premature and require ongoing  specialist care and support
• Received a antenatal or postnatal diagnosis with a life changing or life limiting prognosis

As  a team we acknowledge that this news can leave families with many complex feelings and a deep uncertainty regarding what the future may look like and we all recognise that it is vital that specialist support  is available for the family as a whole to help them through this difficult time.

Derian House Perinatal team work in close collaboration with our doctors, midwifes and nurses throughout the antenatal, midwifery and neonatal journey (where applicable to the family) to ensure the family receive information, support  and guidance at every stage.

The Derian team are experienced neonatal trained nurses and provide emotional and practical support for our families and their baby who are currently being nursed on the neonatal unit (subject to meeting criteria).

The team attend Preston Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on a Wednesday afternoon between 14:00 - 16:00

They are available for a coffee and a chat at parents convenience and this can be done by the baby’s bedside or in a more private room, they will also liaise regularly with the consultant and nurses to understand more about babies condition and prognosis to enable a supportive plan to be in place.

Support available

Anenatal support

• Multidisciplinary Team Meetings
• Support at antenatal appointments
• Parallel planning / birth plans
• Emotional support during pregnancy
• Family support (counselling)
• Complementary therapies
• Memory making
• Support at birth

Neonatal support

• Weekly ward rounds at hospitals within catchment area
• PMRT meetings
• DPM meetings and preparation for home
• Hospital support (regulra visits / telephone contacts)
• Symptom management support
• Emotional support
• Family support (counselling)
• Mementoes / Play sessions
• Parallel planning / advanced care planning
• Specialist palliative care / 

Community / Home support

• Support to promote early discharge home
• Clinical review / support
• Baby massage
• Play group
• Music therapy
• Physiotherapy / hydrotherapy
• Family support (counselling)
• Complementary therapies
• Symptom management
• End of life care (24/7 on call service)

Derian wellbeing service aims to help families relax, de-stress and have fun. They recognise that some children are poorly on many occasions and this is just part of their condition – it may not be that they are in the end stages of life, and some nursing support at home may be helpful at these times.

Their counsellor’s provide a talking therapy offering professional guidance in a caring, supportive environment giving families time and space, in a way that is often not possible with family or friends. Counselling involves more than just listening to. It provides a safe place to help to make sense of  thoughts and feelings based on building a trusting, respectful relationship with the counsellor. The time spent in counselling is private and confidential; these sessions can be individual face-to-face, as a couple or the whole family, provided in Derian House free of charge and by appointment.

Website: derianhouse.co.uk/perinatal-service/
Facebook: facebook.com/derianhouse
Instagram: @DerianHousechildrenshospice
Family Support Team: 01257 233 300
Email: families@derianhouse.co.uk