RAH supports for families on the Neonatal Unit

Having a premature or sick baby/babies can be very stressful and frightening for families for lots of different reasons. The neonatal nurses caring for you will provide support on a day by day basis. We know that having helpful support can make a big difference to families. For this reason, the Neonatal Unit offers a range of different types of additional supports for families (practical, emotional/psychological, and spiritual). These include:

The Hospital Chaplaincy Service

The Chaplaincy Service delivers spiritual and religious care to all people. Spiritual care addresses the human need to have a sense of peace, security and hope particularly in the context of injury, illness or loss.

Healthcare Chaplains work with other NHS staff to ensure that these needs are met and, where appropriate, in partnership with local faith and belief groups.

An NHS Healthcare Chaplain is always on-call and ward staff can arrange for them to be paged. A Roman Catholic Priest is also available at all times. For more information please phone the Chaplain.

Telephone: 0141 452 4017

The Maternity & Neonatal Psychological Interventions (MNPI) Team

Telephone: 0141 232 4333

Located in the Neonatal Unit.

The MNPI Team consists of clinical psychologists, a psychological therapist, and specialist midwives. They are trained to help you work through any worries and feelings you may be having at the present time.

This can include:

helping to identify problems early
preventing problems worsening
promoting self care
supporting your relationship with your baby
identifying other appropriate support networks

The Team tries to meet with as many parents as they can as part of the routine care offered within the neonatal unit. If you have not been given an appointment and think it would be helpful for you, please ask the nurse caring for your family to contact us to arrange one. You can also contact us directly by telephoning 0141 232 4333 .

We are happy to meet with mums and dads either together or individually – whatever is more helpful. Everything we discuss is confidential within health. An appointment with the MNPI Team usually lasts for around 45 minutes but can be shorter if preferred. Some families find it helpful to meet with the MNPI Team on one occasion, while offers benefit from further contact. The time spent with the MNPI Team is tailored to best suit your needs, feelings and concerns.

The MNPI Team is available for:

face to face appointments on the Neonatal Unit Wednesday to Friday 9:00am-5:00pm (and/or)
telephone/video-call appointments Monday to Friday 9:00am-5:00pm.

Support and Information Service

Telephone: 0141 532 7378

Located in the main building at the main entrance.

Refer to our webpage

We provide emotional support, information and referrals for money worries, carers support, housing, advocacy, employment, signposting to support groups and more. Why not pop in for a chat to see how we can support you.

We are open Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm.

Other helpful resources

BLISS: bliss.org.uk - for babies born premature or sick
Twins Trust (previously known as TAMBA): twinstrust.org - Supporting twins, triplets and more.