Wards and clinics

Maternity Triage

Our Maternity Triage department is a 24/7 service for people over 18 weeks of pregnancy and is located on the 1st floor.
Triage is intended for urgent pregnancy-related problems, advice and emergencies. You may be redirected to another healthcare practitioner such as your GP, local pharmacy, 111 or A&E, if appropriate.

For urgent pregnancy related advice or emergencies, please contact Maternity Triage: 01895 279 054

 

Labour Ward

Labour Ward is located on the ground floor and has 11 fully equipped delivery rooms with en-suite bathrooms. Birthing stools and balls are available to use, upon request. 
Labour Ward also has 2 dedicated obstetric operating theatres, a 2 bedded recovery area and our new Ocean Pearl Bereavement Suite, which has a private sitting room and garden for sole use of bereaved families.

Please note: We do not currently have a birthing pool available within the hospital building, work to reintroduce a pool is in progress.

Visiting on Labour Ward

  • TWO allocated birth partners are permitted for the duration of labour and birth
  • In the case of emergency caesarean section or admission to one of our operating theatres, only ONE birth partner is permitted, the second birth partner will be politely asked to leave. This is due to limited capacity in theatre and recovery
  • Only ONE allocated birth partner is permitted for elective/planned caesarean section
  • NO swapping of birth partners is allowed on Labour Ward
  • Children are NOT permitted on Labour Ward at any time

If you think you are in labour and are planning to give birth on Labour Ward, please contact Maternity Triage: 01895 279 054

 

Midwifery Led Unit (MLU)

MLU is a 4 bedded low risk birth setting, located on the 2nd floor. The unit is midwifery-led and is intended to create a home from home environment for intrapartum care. Birthing stools and balls are available to use, upon request. 
If you are outside of the MLU criteria and wish to give birth in this setting, speak to your midwife for a referral to our 'Birth Choices' Clinic, where our consultant midwife can discuss this with you.

Please note: We do not currently have a birthing pool available within the hospital building, work to reintroduce a pool is in progress.

If you are in labour and are planning to give birth on MLU, please contact MLU: 01895 279 880

 

Ultrasound scans

All pregnancy scans are completed within the Maternity Unit in 2 ultrasound departments. The main Antenatal Ultrasound Department is located alongside the Antenatal Clinic on the ground floor and Marina Ultrasound Department is located on the 1st floor next to Maternity Triage. The location of scan appointments will be printed on appointment letters.

Please note: we are unable to guarantee that a female sonographer will be available at scan appointments. If a female sonographer is not available, and you do not wish to be scanned by a male, then your scan will be rebooked for another day.

If you have a scan related query or to change your scan appointment, please contact Antenatal Clinic: 01895 279 905 or email thh.antenatalultrasound@nhs.net

 

Day Assessment Unit (DAU)

DAU is a midwife-led clinic located on the 1st floor within Marina Ward. DAU is intended for people with pre-existing conditions, complications of pregnancy and additional monitoring needs. Katherine (antenatal) Ward midwives will assess and refer you to other members of the team, where necessary.

If you need to change your DAU appointment, please contact Antenatal Clinic: 01895 279 442 (Monday - Friday between 9am - 3pm)

 

Community midwifery

Community midwives run antenatal and postnatal clinics in various children's centres within the local area. According to where you live, you will be allocated to a Community Midwifery Team, who will oversee your care and decide which children's centres you will attend for your appointments. If you live outside of these areas, your care will be completed by a different midwife team from another hospital.

Amber Team: Covers areas of Hayes, Harlington and Yeading at the following children's centres:

  • Pinkwell, UB3 1PG
  • Barra Hall, UB3 2SA
  • Yeading, UB4 ONR
  • Charville, UB4 8LF

Coral Team: Covers areas of West Drayton, Hillingdon, Sipson, Harmondsworth, Longford Village, Yiewsley, Uxbridge and Cowley at the following children's centres:

  • Cherry Lane, UB7 9DL
  • Yiewsley, UB7 8HF
  • Colham Manor, UB8 3PT
  • Oak Farm, UB10 9PD
  • Uxbridge, UB8 1UW

Emerald Team: Covers areas of Ickenham, Ruislip, Northwood, Harefield, Eastcote and some of Pinner at the following children's centres:

  • Harefield, UB9 6BT
  • Coteford, HA5 2HX
  • South Ruislip, HA4 0LR
  • Mount Vernon, HA6 2RN

Sapphire Team: Covers areas of Northolt, Greenford and some of Southall at the following children's centres:

  • Islip Manor, UB5 5RG
  • Southall Broadway, UB1 1LD
  • Jubilee Gardens, UB1 2TJ
  • Grand Union Village, UB5 6WL

A midwife will visit you at home for some postnatal appointments, you will be advised when a midwife will be visiting.

Please note: unless advised by your midwife, we are unable to give exact times of home visits and you are expected to be available all day.

To change appointments at children's centres, please contact: 01895 279 442 (Monday - Friday between 9am to 3pm) or thh-tr.antenatalenquiries@nhs.net

 

Katherine Ward (Antenatal)

Katherine Ward is a 13 bedded antenatal ward situated on the 2nd floor, comprising of 5 single occupancy rooms, 4 bedded bays and co-located Midwife Led Unit (MLU).
The Katherine Ward team of midwives, maternity support workers and doctors provide quality antenatal care to those who require hospital admission for complications in pregnancy and induction of labour.

Visiting on Katherine Ward

  • ONE primary birth partner can visit on Katherine Ward between 8am - 8pm
  • Siblings are able to visit between 2pm - 7pm
  • A maximum of TWO visitors (including birth partner and children) are allowed per bedside at any one time

If you are in labour and are planning to give birth on MLU (located within Katherine Ward), please contact: 01895 279 880

 

Marina and Alexandra Wards (Postnatal)

Our postnatal wards are spaced over two floors to provide new parents and their babies with postnatal care until their discharge into the community.

Marina Ward: A 9 bedded ward located on the 1st floor with 4 bedded bays and one single occupancy room. The ward has shared bathrooms and is located alongside Day Assessment Unit (DAU).

Alexandra Ward: A 15 bedded ward located on the 3rd floor with a mix of 5 single occupancy rooms and 4 bedded bays. This ward has shared bathrooms and is joined with the Neonatal Transitional Care Unit (TCU).

Visiting on the postnatal wards

Neonatal Unit (NNU) and Transitional Care Unit (TCU)

Midwives, a nurse and an admin

Our Neonatal Unit (NNU) is located on the first floor of the Maternity Building at Hillingdon Hospital. It has 18 cots in two rooms: the intensive care room and the special care room.

The unit also has two 'rooming in' rooms, an expressing room, plus parental access to a kitchen and sitting room.

In addition to the NNU, the team also run a six-bed Transitional Care Unit, within Alexandra Ward. The Nursing Team supports parents to care for their babies who require additional support and the unit provides a bed space for the birthing parent to stay.

If your baby is admitted to NNU you will be given information about the unit on an individual basis.

If you need to contact the unit, please call: 

  • Intensive care on 01895 279447 or 279114
  • Special care on 01895 279109

The Transitional Care Unit (TCU)

The TCU is part of the Neonatal Unit and uses the same principles of 'FICares' (Family Integrated Cares) that you may already have seen on the Neonatal Unit. This is a really exciting time of your baby's care as parents: we see this time as a partnership between your family and us. 

As parents, you are the main provider for all the needs of your baby. However, our team will remain with you to ensure that you can feel confident looking after your baby in hospital and at the point of going home. 

Through FICares and partnership with the Neonatal Team, we hope you feel supported in the care of your baby throughout your stay on TCU. If you have any questions, please ask any member of the team.

Your stay on the TCU

TCU has six beds on Alexandra Ward, which is on the third floor of the Maternity Department building at Hillingdon Hospital, where you and your baby can stay together while your baby needs hospital care. Our team's office is located at the end of Alexandra Ward and there should always be a member of staff in here or nearby to assist you. 

Our team is made up of doctors, nursing and infant feeding specialists who will discuss care with you and develop a personal plan for your baby. These plans are reviewed daily and will be adjusted to suit your baby's ongoing needs. You will be involved in all decisions regarding your baby's care needs so that you are able to make an informed choice. Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have. 

  • Please supply your own nappies and clothes for your baby
  • Mothers are expected to stay overnight but partners are welcome to stay as well
  • Please ask the team for the current visiting policy.

Feeding

Feeding your baby is an important time for you and your baby on TCU. Our Infant Feeding Team and nursing staff will support you whichever way you would like to feed your baby. This is parental choice and we support both breastfeeding and bottle feeding on the unit. 

If you wish to breastfeed, the team will assist you until you and your baby are comfortable breastfeeding. We have breast pumps available to use during your stay if required and we provide sterilising facilities. There is the availability to rent pumps when you go home too. 

Looking after breast milk on TCU

We have guidelines for everyone on TCU to avoid mixing milk with that of other mothers. Our team will show you how to do this but please ask for help.

  • always label your milk after expressing
  • when milk is collected from the TCU fridge, please check with one of our nursing staff that it is your milk, before giving it to your baby

When to store your expressed breast milk in the fridge

  • expressed breast milk can stay by the bedside for a maximum of four hours before putting it in the fridge. In warm weather, please consider using the fridge anyway
  • milk warmed up from the fridge can only be used within one hour and cannot be returned to the fridge. After this, any unused milk must be discarded.

Bottle feeding on TCU

Bottle feeding is fully supported on TCU and our staff are here to help with any questions you may have about feeding and sterilising. Please bring your own bottles and teats. 

Maternal needs

If you remain an inpatient on Alexandra Ward but your baby is ready for TCU, the Midwifery Team will still provide your care and the TCU Team will assist with your baby. If you have been discharged from inpatient maternity care, you are responsible for your own medications. We recommend that you plan ahead for any needs you might have, such as painkillers, nursing pads, Dalteparin injections etc. If you feel unwell, you will have to be seen in Maternity Triage, which is on the first floor.

Discharge 

Going home is exciting, but it can also be challenging. Our team will work with you to ensure a safe and well-supported discharge. At discharge, your baby should be:

  • feeding well - breastfeeding, bottle feeding or a combination
  • maintaining their temperature without support in a cot
  • gaining weight, if applicable
  • off antibiotics and no longer needing phototherapy.

Some babies on longer courses of antibiotics or phototherapy might be able to continue at home with our PATCH (Providing Assessment and Treatment for Children at Home) service. If your baby is eligible, this will be discussed during your TCU stay.

When you go home, you will be given a discharge summary of your baby's stay, any medication that your baby requires and your baby's 'red book'. This is a health and development record for every child in the UK.

Contact

If you need to contact the TCU please call 01895 279146.