Table 2

Summary of differences between three levels of neonatal care within the UK, adapted from British Association of Perinatal Medicine61 62

Level 1 (special care unit—SCU)Level 2 (local neonatal unit—LNU)Level 3 (neonatal intensive care unit—NICU)

  • Care for babies born >34 weeks (or >32 weeks depending on local network policy).

  • Provide special care and may provide some high dependency care.

  • Stabilise babies who need to be transferred to an LNU or NICU.

  • Receive transfers from units within their network for continuing special care.

  • Doctors and nursing staff are on a shared rota with paediatric services.

  • Consultants are general paediatricians.

  • Care for babies born >27 weeks of gestation (or >28 weeks depending on local network policy).

  • Provide all categories of care for their local population (including short periods of intensive care), but transfer babies requiring complex or longer-term intensive care to a NICU.

  • Depending on size and level of activity, doctors and nursing staff may be on a shared or separate rota with paediatric services.

  • Some consultants have neonatal expertise, while others are general paediatricians.

  • Care for babies of all gestational ages (>22/23 weeks).

  • Sited alongside specialist obstetric and fetomaternal services.

  • Provide all categories of neonatal care (including non-conventional modes of ventilation, inhaled nitric oxide, and therapeutic hypothermia).

  • May be colocated with surgery and other specialised services.

  • Consulted for advice and receive transfers from other units within their network.

  • Doctors and nursing staff are not on a shared rota with paediatric services.

  • All consultants have neonatal expertise.