Sir Robert Finch children's sleep and ventilation unit

The Sir Robert Finch children’s sleep and ventilation unit at Royal Brompton Hospital offers comprehensive evaluation and care for children with sleep and sleep-related disorders.

State-of-the-art equipment

Having the latest equipment means we can monitor the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the bloodstream, as well as the movement of the chest and abdomen, the heart rate, airflow and the electrical activity in the brain.

The unit also provides care for children who rely on ventilators to breathe. Some of these children have tracheostomies and are on long term ventilation. Other children are on CPAP or BIPAP therapy – involving the use of a machine and mask that delivers air or oxygen to ensure unobstructed breathing during sleep.

We also have the ability to do far more sophisticated tests such as multiple sleep latency tests. This means we can provide more accurate information to help in the diagnosis and management of these children. Treatment can be tailored to the individual needs of each child.

Child-friendly rooms

The rooms were specially designed with input from children and their families. We created a child-friendly atmosphere so that children can feel at ease and have a good night's sleep.

The unit also provides beds for parents of the young patients, enabling them to stay during the overnight test. This further helps putting young patients at ease so they sleep well.

The inspiring artworks in the unit by artist Jill Calder were funded with additional support from the Octavia Appeal working with the Friends of Royal Brompton, and commissioned by the Trust’s arts team.

A large number of children will benefit from the unit

Children with obstructive sleep apnoea, babies who were born premature who may have breathing problems when they are asleep, children with neuromuscular weakness, children with cerebral palsy, children with Down's syndrome or other inherited conditions, children with respiratory problems such as asthma, cystic fibrosis and numerous others will benefit from the sleep and ventilation unit.

Increased capacity for outreach training

The sleep unit offers the children’s long term ventilation team the opportunity to expand a new training programme spearheaded at Royal Brompton Hospital. This will enable babies with severe breathing difficulties to be cared for at home, with the back-up of fully trained community staff. The new training programme involves hands-on training along with an e-learning package for hospital and community staff across the region as well as parents of children who need to be ventilated. This enables them to safely care for ventilated children at home and offers practical support close to home.

Read more about our sleep study for children