Neonatal Unit receives prestigious award

Colleagues working in the Neonatal Unit at King’s Mill Hospital are celebrating after they were awarded the prestigious Baby Friendly Award by the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative.

The award comes after the unit, which is ran by Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, achieved their stage three Baby Friendly Accreditation just two years after the starting their baby friendly journey. The team have worked extremely hard to achieve all three stages of the accreditation process in a short period of time after initially receiving their certificate of commitment in April 2022, then going on to achieve stage one in July 2022 and stage two in late 2023.

The Baby Friendly Initiative is a global programme which aims to transform healthcare for babies, their mothers, and families as part of a wider global partnership between UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). In the UK, the Baby Friendly Initiative works with public services to better support families with feeding and developing close, loving relationships to ensure that all babies get the best possible start in life. The award is given to health facilities/hospitals/universities after an assessment by a UNICEF UK team has shown that recognised best practice standards are in place.

Following an extremely competitive application process, the neonatal unit at King’s Mill Hospital was one of 18 from across the UK to be selected for the initiative and was very lucky to receive a range of support and opportunities over a three-year period to achieve their accreditation by 2024.

Kim Hastings, Neonatal Specialist Nurse for Infant Feeding said: "This award is a reflection of our ongoing commitment to increase breast/chest feeding rates and improve care for all families at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust.

“Breast/chest feeding protects babies against a wide range of serious illnesses, including gastroenteritis and respiratory infections in infancy, as well as cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes and obesity later in life. We also know that breastfeeding reduces the mother’s risk of some cancers, and that it supports the mental health of both mother and baby.”

Colleagues on the unit have worked hard to completely change the culture and ethos of the unit since starting their baby friendly journey two years ago. Training has been provided to all colleagues on the unit, from Support Workers to Managers and this was made possible with support from Senior Managers at the Trust, the Sherwood Forest Hospital Charity, and the Emily Harris Foundation (a regular supporter of the unit). Foundations have been firmly put in place with a change to the unit’s guidelines and policies, which colleagues must adhere to.

As well as this, the unit now provides a breast pump for each cot space, and staff provide support for families to have skin-to-skin contact with their babies. This has wide-ranging benefits, helping babies to regulate their temperature and bond with their parents, as well as aiding brain growth and development.

Kim continued: “We set out to ensure that all parents/carers and babies are supported to form a close and loving relationship – whatever their choice of feeding method – as this is the best start for every baby.”

"We are delighted that Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has achieved full Baby Friendly status," said UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative Deputy Programme Director, Anne Woods. “Our work to support breastfeeding is based on extensive and resounding evidence that breastfeeding saves lives, improves health and cuts costs in every country worldwide, rich and poor alike. Mothers receiving care here can be confident that their midwives/health visitors will provide high standards of care.”

The team are due to receive a plaque and certificate to commemorate their achievement.