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What is the FANS clinic?
The FANS clinic is a dedicated multi-disciplinary team clinic for babies who have been diagnosed with a condition that will require surgery after birth or occasionally whilst in the womb.
The clinic has been designed to enable families to meet a member of each team who will be involved in looking after them and their baby in one visit.
Who is present at the clinic?
- Specialist midwife
- Fetal medicine consultant/senior doctor
- Consultant neonatologist
- Consultant paediatric surgeon
- Neonatal specialist nurse
What happens at the appointment?
The baby’s mother will be scanned by a fetal medicine consultant or a senior doctor. The consultant neonatologist and paediatric surgeon may also observe the scan.
Occasionally, clinicians discuss the scan findings during the scan. This gives the surgeons as much detail as possible to help plan ahead for surgery.
Following the scan, parents are taken to a private counselling room to talk about findings of the scan. This is an opportunity to discuss plans for surgery and what this would involve.
You will also be given information about the neonatal unit (NICU) and if possible, give a tour of the unit.
We believe families benefit from seeing the whole team. There may be more than 5 members of the team at this appointment if the parents are comfortable with this. All those present will be there to support you and your family.1