Global accreditation for Shropshire neonatal unit
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust’s neonatal unit has achieved a worldwide recognised accreditation.
The Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative Stage One accreditation is part of a global programme first launched in 1994, and extended to neonatal units in 2012, by Unicef and the World Health Organisation to support breastfeeding and parent-infant relationships by improving standards of care.
It supports maternity, neonatal, health visiting and children’s centre services to transform their care, setting standards and sustainable improvements.
Sam Petridis, Baby Friendly lead nurse and neonatal sister, said: “We are delighted to have achieved the Stage One accreditation and are now excited to continue progressing into the next stage of the programme.
“Through this work, we are putting parent’s voices at the heart of care, minimising separation and empowering parents to take part in all elements of their baby’s care.”
The neonatal unit, which achieved Stage One of the accreditation in nine months, is now working towards the second stage out of three, which focuses on educating staff to implement the neonatal standards.
Unicef assesses the progress made by neonatal units by measuring the skills and knowledge of health professionals, as well as interviewing families to hear about their personal experiences of care.
Sam added: “This is a really important initiative for the neonatal unit. We are committed to improving outcomes for babies and their families and by implementing these standards we can help the next generation.”
