Burstow Ward visiting times

• Those present at the birth are welcome 8am – 8pm.

• Maximum of one birth partner overnight 8pm – 8am. We encourage birth partners to rest at home overnight when possible.

• Quiet time is between 1pm – 3pm. Birth partners are welcome to stay in this time but please limit moving around the ward, entering and exiting the ward and keep noise to a minimum. No other visitors are permitted during this time.

• Between 4pm – 6pm, siblings of the baby are welcome to visit. All other children (under the age of 16) are not permitted on the wardat any time.

• Family and friends are welcome to visit between 4pm and 8pm.  

• No more than 2 adults are permitted at the bedside at any time. This includes in our side rooms.

Children under 16 that are not your own children are not allowed to visit – there are no exceptions, as this is an infection risk for the babies on the ward.

Amenity beds are available to NHS patients who wish to pay for the privacy of a single room, and access to en-suite facilities during their postnatal stay.

At East Surrey Hospital we have three amenity rooms located on Burstow Ward within our maternity unit.

Please note - visiting restrictions within the ward and amenity rooms still apply (see below).

Room options and pricing

After giving birth, you can choose to upgrade your stay to an amenity room for a nightly fee. You will continue to receive NHS maternity care with the choice of a private room to recover. At East Surrey Hospital, we have three rooms available (subject to availability) at the following nightly rates.

Room 1

Room 1 - Single room with en-suite facilities (i.e., shower, wash basin and toilet) - £130*

Room 5 and Room 9

Room 5 – Single room without en-suite facilities. Shower and toilet facilities are located within Burstow Ward. - £100*

Room 9 – Single room without en-suite facilities. Shower and toilet facilities are located within Burstow Ward - £100*

*Prices will be reduced based on occupancy hours. Full day/overnight stay (8+ hours) at full price with half day (up to 8 hours) at 50%.

Booking process

Please speak to your midwife on the labour ward/ birth centre to arrange an amenity room.

Please note, amenity rooms are only available post-birth and cannot be requested prior to birth.

All rooms are subject to availability.

Payments

Payments for amenity rooms will be taken via a card machine when you are discharged from the ward. Payments will be taken based on the length of time you stayed on the ward based on the rates outlined in this leaflet.

Food and refreshments

• You will be asked to fill out a meal request sheet which will be on your table at breakfast. If you do not have a meal request sheet at breakfast, please request one.
• All meals need to be collected from the dining room; you can then choose to eat there or bring back to your bed. If you feel unable to visit the dining room and wish to have your meal brought to your bed, please ask a member of staff.
• Self-serve breakfast is 8am-9am. Lunch is 12pm-1pm. Dinner is 5pm-6pm
• Tea/coffee is served twice a day. Sandwiches and water are available on request at any time.
• You are welcome to bring in your own food, however there are no facilities to heat your food.

Support partners

Visiting times

• Named birth partners (maximum of two) 8am-8pm
• Quiet time is from 1pm-3pm
• Siblings of the baby (no other children) 4pm-6pm
• Family and friends (no more than two adults at a time) 4pm-8pm
• One overnight support partner from 8pm to 8am.

Overnight support partners

One support partner is welcome to stay on Burstow ward overnight from 8pm until 8am, although we do encourage that partners go home to rest. Partners that stay overnight to offer support must:

• Be over 18 years of age
• Sleep on the chair provided, not on the bed or floor.
• Organise their own food
• Stay fully dressed and wear shoes at all times
• Use quiet voices and mute any electrical devices
• Showers are for patient use only
• No filming, recording, or photographs of staff, other patients or members of the public.
• Stay to help. Go home to sleep or rest.

When your baby is five days old they will be offered a screening test called the Newborn blood Spot (NBS). This is usually performed in a postnatal clinic, alongside your babies weight and full postnatal check. The NBS screening programme enables early identification, referral and treatment of babies with 9 rare but serious conditions. These are:

It is important to know that: after screening, blood spot cards are stored for at least 5 years and may be used:

• To check the result or for other tests recommended by your doctor (if the results could affect the health of your baby, you will be contacted)
• To help improve the screening programme or upgrade the existing testing methods for conditions already approved for screening in England (if the results could affect the health of your baby, you will be contacted)
• For research to help improve the health of babies and their families in the UK (this will not identify your baby and you will not be contacted)

In addition, there is a small chance that researchers may want to invite you or your child to take part in information gathering linked to the newborn blood spot screening programme. Researchers undertaking any additional studies would explain what is being done and you would then be asked if you wish to take part in that study. Please let your midwife know if you do not want to be contacted to discuss taking part in any additional information gathering.

All use of the blood spots is governed by the code of practice. Any research will have been approved by an independent research ethics committee.

For more information see this online leaflet Blood spot - GOV.UK, or speak to your Healthcare professional.

Pelvic floor exercises

Baby traffic lights

Safer sleep advice from the Lullaby Trust

Best Beginnings – support and understanding for mums-to-be, new mums, dads, partners and families. Download the app from your usual app store by searching on ‘Best Beginnings’.

Baby Buddy - a free multi-award-winning, interactive pregnancy and parenting app now available in Surrey to support parents, co-parents and caregivers. It features fun, engaging interactive features and tips. Download the app from your usual app store by searching on ‘Baby Buddy’.

More information about pregnancy and birth is also available on the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists website.

Postnatal care and going home from the hospital

These videos provide more information about life at home following your birth, including how to care for yourself and your baby.

You are advised to discuss these videos in more detail with your named lead professional. These videos are guides and any specific circumstances regarding your health or that of your baby should always be discussed directly with your midwife.

Support for partners

Coparentpad

Birth reflections poster

Children and family health Surrey