Our Special Care Nursery (SCN) is here to support premature, small, or unwell babies, providing expert care in a warm and compassionate environment. We look after babies born here at Latrobe Regional Health, those transferred from smaller hospitals in our region, and babies returning from larger tertiary centres once they’re stable enough to be closer to home.

If a baby needs a higher level of care than we can provide, we’ll stabilise them and arrange a safe transfer to a tertiary centre for further treatment and investigation.

Our team

Our SCN is run by a dedicated multidisciplinary team, including:

• Experienced nurses (many with neonatal and NICU qualifications)
• Hospital Medical Officers (HMOs)
• Paediatric registrars and consultants
• Maternity support workers
• Lactation consultants
• Allied health professionals – including a speech pathologist, occupational therapist, and physiotherapist

We also have strong connections with regional service providers and community services, helping us support families during and after their baby’s stay with us.

Who we care for

We care for babies born from 32 weeks gestation and support a wide range of needs. Babies are admitted to our nursery either from Latrobe Regional Health or from nearby hospitals after a discussion with our on-call paediatrician and community teams.

No. Babies admitted to the Special Care Nursery generally have a range of medical conditions which require specialised care.

Yes. While there are no beds in the nursery, there are sleeper chairs or recliners to stay by baby’s side. We support parents and babies being together and do all we can to facilitate family-centred care.

If your baby needs a high level of care than we are able to provide, the paediatric team will organise a transfer to a more specialised hospital. If this occurs, you will be fully consulted as part of the process.