About Us

Welcome to the South West Fetal Medicine Operational Delivery Network (ODN)

The South West Fetal Medicine Operational Delivery Network (SW FM ODN) exists to coordinate fetal care pathways delivered by 11 hospitals across the South West of England from Gloucester Royal Hospital in the North to Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro in the South, to ensure the delivery of the highest quality of care to pregnant women regardless of their geographical location.

The purposes of the SW FM ODN are numerous:

  • To provide high quality evidence based care to pregnant women and their fetus
  • To promote and share best practice
  • Ensure equitable access, excellent experience and optimal outcomes for all women and their families served by the service
  • To provide education for healthcare professionals
  • To co-ordinate care with specialties relating to fetal medicine e.g. paediatric cardiology

The SWFMODN consists of the following 11 fetal medicine units offering pregnancy care. The table below shows details of the fetal medicine units and their corresponding neonatal units (for post birth care):

Fetal Medicine UnitDetails of the Fetal UnitNeonatal Unit level of care offeredDetails of Neonatal care
St Michael’s Hospital BristolQuaternary & tertiary fetal referral unit for the South West, performing complex/fetoscopic interventionsLevel 3 NICU for complex medical and surgical care31 cots
From extremely premature gestations.
Includes babies requiring surgery
Southmead North BristolLevel 2 fetal unitLevel 3 NICU for complex medical care34 cots
From extreme premature gestations
Royal Devon & ExeterLevel 2 fetal unit, joined with BarnstapleLevel 2 LNU for high dependency22 cots
From 27 weeks
Gloucester Royal HospitalLevel 2 fetal unitLevel 2 LNU for high dependency28 cots
From 27 weeks
Musgrove Park TauntonLevel 2 fetal unit, joined with YeovilLevel 2 LNU for high dependency18 cots
From 27 weeks
Derriford Hospital PlymouthLevel 2 fetal unitLevel 3 NICU for complex medical care22 cots
From extremely premature gestations
Royal Cornwall Hospital TruroLevel 2 fetal unitLevel 2 LNU for high dependency20 cots
From 27 weeks
Torbay HospitalLevel 2 fetal unitLevel 1 SCBU for short term care10 cots
From 32 weeks
North Devon BarnstapleLevel 2 fetal unitLevel 1 SCBU for short term care8 cots
From 32 weeks
Royal United Hospital BathLevel 1 fetal unitLevel 2 LNU for high dependency21 cots
From 27 weeks
Yeovil HospitalLevel 0 obstetric unitLevel 1 SCBU for short term care8 cots
From 32 weeks