The NICU team
Doctors
The medical care your baby receives will be co-ordinated by one of the Consultant Neonatologists (A doctor specialising in newborn babies). He or she will be responsible for the overall care of your baby and will meet with you at regular intervals, sometimes even after your baby has gone home. The other consultant neonatologists will also help to care for your baby and make decisions. All of the Neonatologists are supported by a team of neonatal doctors in training who will help provide the daily medical care.
Dr Dipo Aworinde – Service Line Clinical Director
Dr Alison Markwick
Dr Olha Danko
Nursing Team
Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioners
The ANNP team is a group of advanced clinical practitioners (ACP) who have undertaken a specialist post graduate MSc course in neonatal advance practice. The team was established in 2000 to support the medical rota and work alongside doctors in training to ensure safe and effective care for the neonatal population. Each ANNP has 4 pillars in their role including, clinical, education, research / governance and service development.
Pauline Smith - Leadership / workforce development
Diane Keeling - Education / ACP development / BAPM Lead Nurse
Julie Wills - Simulation training for the perinatal team
Nikki Carr - Medicines Management / PERIPrem Lead Nurse
Alistair Hill - Transport / Education
Rachel Bean - Quality Improvement
Natasha Dorrall - Quality Improvement
Enhanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioners
Enhanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (ENNP’s) are Nurses who have also undertaken further training and can complete roles such as Newborn Examinations, attend deliveries and cannulate.
Neonatal Nurses
There is a large team of specially trained Nursing Sisters, Staff Nurses, Nursery Nurses and Health Care Assistants caring for your baby 24 hours a day.
Other people
We are a teaching hospital and therefore work very closely with the university. You may see Nursing and Medical students during your stay on the unit. They are here to gain essential experience whilst being closely supervised.
During your stay you may see other members of the Neonatal Care Team such as:
- Neonatal Physiotherapist
- Clinical Psychologist
- Family Support Worker (FAB Project)
- Dietician
- Specialist Health Visitor
- Social Worker
- Pharmacist
- Radiographers
- Newborn Hearing Screener
- Ophthalmologist
- Peer Support Workers (Breastfeeding and Parent – these are volunteers who have had experience and the necessary training)
- Speech and Language
Nursing Team
Nurse Consultant
Róisín McKeon-Carter
Róisín McKeon-Carter is a Nurse Consultant and registered with the NMC as a Registered Nurse Children & Adult and Independent / Supplementary Prescriber. Her initial nurse training was completed in Ireland, and then she joined the NHS in 1990 and undertook the specialist ENB 405 Intensive Care of the New-born Course. She went on to complete her BSc (Hons) Advanced Neonatal Nursing in Southampton University in 2003 and qualified as an Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (ANNP). In 2012, Róisín was awarded the Florence Nightingale Leadership Scholarship to progress her work on raising the profile of ANNPs and developing Neonatal Transitional Care facilities in every Hospital Trust in UK. In 2016, she was awarded a Florence Nightingale travel scholarship to investigate Family Integrated Care (FICARE). Róisín sits on the Neonatal Nurse Association (NNA) executive.
General areas of expertise:
- Neonatal medical advanced practice nursing.
- Neonatal transport (ANNP for Peninsula Neonatal Transport Service)
- Nurse leadership
Particular areas of expertise:
- Team development and nursing leadership
- Family Integrated Care
Matron
Anita Dykes
Ward Manager / Senior Sister NICU
Sr Katie Hoffman
Katie is a neonatal nurse with 22 years’ experience, primarily in a regional level three tertiary service. Establishing her passion for neonatal nursing at Leeds General Infirmary, Katie relocated back to her home unit of Plymouth in 1998. In 2013 Katie became the NICU Senior Sister but previous roles have included junior management and leadership posts, transport nurse and Transport Coordinator for the Peninsula Neonatal Transport Service. Katie is a member of the nurse advisory group for the South West Operational Delivery Network where with other neonatal nursing and medical evaluate and plan service provision against regional and national strategic developments. In 2018 Katie was successful in her quest for an Emerging Leader Florence Nightingale Scholarship and as part of this journey presenting for the first time at the largest national neonatal conference; Reason. Her passion lies in workforce and service development, patient and family experience, identifying neonatal nursing leaders of the future and facilitating development opportunities for junior colleagues.
Senior Sister Critical Reach
Helen Harris
Helen is a registered paediatric and neonatal nurse who has been working on the Neonatal unit since 1988. She works a combination of Neonatal management shifts and shifts on the Neonatal Transport team. She undertakes nursing transport shifts for the Peninsula Neonatal Transport. The service ensures that infants born in Devon and Cornwall are cared for in the most appropriate place to deliver the care they need. This may include transferring infants who need an uplift in care that is not available in their home unit and repatriating them when care is completed back to their home unit.
Areas of expertise:
- Clinical care of neonates
- Neonatal Transport
- Clinical Governance
- Infection Prevention and Control
- Evacuation
Senior Sister Outreach / Transitional Care / Family Support
Sr Jo Bennett
Education Team
Diane Keeling and Jessica Talbert - Neonatal Partnership Education Leads
Diane and Jessica are the leads for education in the neonatal unit at Derriford hospital, supporting a broad range of clinical education and training activities as required by the service.
As module leads for the QIS BSc training in partnership with the University of Plymouth they manage and lead this pathway, training nurses from across the region in the speciality of neonates.
As module leads for the ANNP MSc training in partnership with the University of Plymouth they manage and lead this pathway, training experienced nurses from across the region to become Enhanced and Advanced Nurse Practitioners.
As lead nurse educator for the South west ODN Jess Talbert coordinates educational strategy and support the South West Neonatal ODN in its training and educational requirements.
As Nursing and Midwifery representative for BAPM, Diane Keeling participates in national projects and directives which impact upon neonatal service provision.
Jess Groves –Talbert – QIS Lead
Rachel Roe & Alice Reed – Preceptorship & clinical facilitatiors
Allied Health Team
Dr Peter Cantin – Consultant Sonographer
General information:
Peter has been a practising radiographer since 1991 and specialised in diagnostic ultrasound in 1995. He is the non-medical consultant within the ultrasound unit at Derriford. He plays an active role in the British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS) and has worked extensively with NHS England and Health Education England in drawing up national protocols and guidance for ultrasound practice and education throughout the UK.
Areas of expertise:
Diagnostic ultrasound including neonates and paediatrics, general abdominal ultrasound, gynaecological ultrasound, head and neck ultrasound and ultrasound guided intervention.
Claire Loader – Physiotherapist
Brooke Davidson - Dietician
Brooke qualified in ‘Nutrition and Dietetics’ in Scotland. Brooke worked in adult dietetics prior to specialising in paediatrics and has previously specialised in paediatric Allergy, Diabetes and Cystic Fibrosis clinics. Brooke then joined Derriford Hospital Neonatal Team in January 2020.
Deborah Carr – Speech & Language therapist
Dr Julia Bird – Clinical Psychologist
Retinopathy of Prematurity Team
Dr Leticia Dujardin – Consultant Ophthalmologist
Dr Eva Gajdosova – Consultant Ophthalmologist
Staff Nurse Charlotte Page
Peninsula Neonatal Transport Team (PNTS)
Dr John Madar – Consultant Lead
Alistair Hill – ANNP Lead
Helen Darby – Nurse Lead
Technical Support Team
Andy Alford – Lead
Administration Team
Rachel Deakin - Service Line Manager
Sarah Keeble & Sharon Barnes - Secretaries
Jean Rees & Julie Potter - Ward Clerks
They provide a clerical and administration support to the Neonatology team by assisting the nursing staff in reception of families and visitors to the ward.
Abbie Vincent - Ward Administrator TCW
She provides a clerical service to the ward and assist nursing staff in reception of families and visitors to the ward. She also provides administration support to the team of nursing and clinical staff. She ensures all systems are kept up to date to allow smooth running of the ward and meeting RTT standards. And she liaises with other departments providing necessary notes and various patient information/ results for medical & nursing staff, supporting the care of our patients.
Tracey Stacey, Hayley Robinson and Maddie Gavin- Badger Data Input Lead
They provide support and supervision of the BadgerNet admin team in NICU and also provide training for new clinical and admin staff for Badger.
BadgerNet forms a continuous care record for neonatal and paediatric care. Designed to ensure that whether a baby is admitted for the first time to a neonatal unit or is transferred from another location, units have everything they need to clearly view care to date for that baby.
Fundraiser
Tracey Stacey
Pharmacy
Meerai Arnouk - Pharmacist
