North Manchester General Hospital - Philips Baby Monitors x2

UPDATE: This equipment was delivered in 2003.

The Philips monitor is a single unit which measures heart rate, oxygen levels, respiration, temperature and blood pressure. It is designed for use with babies born prematurely or with severe health problems and, and allows staff to effectively monitor the health of babies with the minimum of intrusion.

The Special Care Baby Unit treats up to 16 babies at any time, with two intensive care beds. At present four different pieces of equipment are used to provide the same information this new monitor would display. The incubators are not designed to accommodate all of these machines, and there are severe problems with storage and space within a small ward. There is also an issue with staff training as each piece of equipment is operated in a different way.

The current equipment is becoming obsolete, and does not allow staff to take invasive blood pressure readings. As a result very sick babies are often transferred to St Mary’s or other regional centres, where this piece of equipment is already in use.

To replace the different machines with one comprehensive unit with a clear display screen would free up staff time and thereby improve the levels of care offered to very sick babies. This would provide significant health benefits to the pre-term baby, bringing the standard of care up to that offered in the regional centres of excellence.

Most importantly it would reduce the numbers of pre-term babies having to be transferred to the regional centre, eliminating a traumatic journey across the city centre which separates the baby from its mother.

Each unit will cost £10,430.00. Two units are required, with a total project cost of £20,860.