NICEF gives RD&E new ‘Baby Friendly’ seal of approval

The UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative team have given the RD&E’s Maternity and Neonatal services fresh accreditation after a three-day visit to interview parents and staff and review standards.

Both services have held the accolade for several years and recently invited UNICEF back to RD&E to review the care provided by the Trust to ensure that high standards are being maintained.

The assessment, held in late January, comes after Maternity first achieved the UNICEF ‘Baby Friendly’ standard in 2012 and Neonatal becoming the first neonatal unit in the country to achieve it in 2016.

The Baby Friendly Initiative, set up by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, is a global programme that provides a practical and effective way for health services to improve the care provided for mothers and babies. It is based on a comprehensive set of standards designed to provide parents with the best possible care, supporting them to feed their baby and to build close and loving relationships with them.

During their visit the initiative’s team noted praise for the kindness and compassion of staff across all areas, the innovations in family-centred care in the Neonatal unit and the support that families across all areas are given in developing close and loving relationships with their baby. Families also commented positively on the support they had in feeding their babies.

The services are now looking towards further development of the Baby Friendly standards and focusing on achieving the 'Gold award', which will further improve the care families receive.
RD&E Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Nurse Em Wilkinson-Brice is the Trust’s Baby Friendly Guardian.

She said: “It’s great to see the hard work of everyone in these teams recognised by such awards. That the accreditation process included interviews with patients and their families makes it all the more special. Staff go above and beyond to ensure the care and compassion they provide is first-rate and now these prestigious accolades go some way to acknowledge their remarkable work.

“We are now working towards the Baby Friendly Gold Award, which demonstrates deep embedding and sustainability of the Baby Friendly standards.”