Northumbria Healthcare given Baby Friendly recognition for work on infant feeding and early relationships

The Baby Friendly award, run by Unicef UK, is given to NHS trusts with best practice standards in place following an assessment.

The accolade is a result of staff members’ understanding of infant feeding and the impact that early relationships can have on childhood development, in accordance with the Unicef initiative.

Claire Stringer, Northumbria Healthcare’s infant feeding coordinator, said: “This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire maternity team for ensuring the highest level of care is given to our families.

“The award process goes through three stages, in which we are required to supply evidence showing that we are compliant with best practice standards.

“Making sure that women and families have access to evidence-based support is an essential part of these standards.

“The impact of this award is already evident in our breastfeeding rates and the positive feedback given by families when interviewed by the assessors.

“We will continue to build on this excellent progress to ensure that every baby Northumbrian is given a chance for the best start in life.”

Head of midwifery Katy Lissaman added: “The baby friendly standards have supported us to improve care as we have progressed through the stages of the programme.

“The maternity team has worked hard to achieve this award and will continue to deliver these best practice standards to our service user families. We are extremely proud to be fully awarded by Unicef UK.”