Press release – issued 21 March 2024
2024/011

Special Care Baby Unit awarded Baby Friendly accreditation

Wye Valley NHS Trust’s Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) has been awarded the prestigious Neonatal Baby Friendly Accreditation by UNICEF (United Nation’s Children’s Fund). 

This award recognises the feeding support mothers and families receive from neonatal staff at Hereford County Hospital’s SCBU to help babies get the best possible start in life. 

The Baby Friendly Initiative, set up by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, is a global programme, which provides a practical and effective way for health services to improve the care provided for all mothers and babies.  The award is given to hospitals and community health services after an assessment by a UNICEF team has shown that recognised best practice standards are in place. 

The maternity service at Wye Valley NHS Trust first achieved Baby Friendly Status in 2019, and during the last few years the Special Care Baby Unit has been working towards its own accreditation. 

Elaine Evans, Special Care Baby Unit manager at Wye Valley NHS Trust, said: “We are delighted to receive stage one UNICEF Baby Friendly accreditation, which is a great achievement for our neonatal unit.  

“The Baby Friendly standards enable neonatal services to support families with feeding, the importance of establishing early relationships in the neonatal unit, how to value parents as partners in care, how to support breastmilk feeding, the transition to successful breastfeeding, including parent’s choice of feeding, and how best to support babies and their families with a close, loving and responsive relationship in the long term.” 

The Special Care Baby Unit is now working towards stage two UNICEF Baby Friendly Accreditation. 

Photo

Left to right: members of the SCBU staff - Elaine Evans - SCBU manager,
Hafsah Sajid – paediatric student nurse, Paige Howe – neonatal staff nurse, and Ilona Nentwig – staff nurse.  

Ends

Notes to Editors WVT:

• Wye Valley NHS Trust is a provider of health services across Herefordshire and beyond. The Trust exists to improve the wellbeing, independence and health of the people we serve.
• By working closely with our partners, we can make good our promise to deliver a quality of care we would want for ourselves, our families and our friends.
• With an estimated annual turnover of around £295 million, we employ around 3,000 staff. We aim to build new relationships between our staff, patients, service users and their carers with the wider community.

For further information please contact:

Fiona Gurney, communications officer, or John Burnett, Communication and Engagement Manager, Wye Valley NHS Trust: 01432 372928