Our maternity services reaffirm their commitment to giving babies the best start in life

Published: 16 April 2026

We’re delighted to share that we have been reaccredited at Level 3 of the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative, following an independent assessment of maternity care and parents’ experiences.

The reaccreditation confirms that our maternity services continue to meet UNICEF’s Baby Friendly standards, which focus how well services support infant feeding, early relationships and parents’ confidence during pregnancy and the early days of life.

During the assessment, UNICEF assessors spoke directly with parents and staff and observed care in practice. Their report highlights strong cultural standards in supporting parent–baby relationships and recognised high quality breastfeeding and infant feeding support across maternity and neonatal services.

Nicola McMinn, Chief Nurse and Baby Friendly Guardian, said: “UNICEF’s Baby Friendly reaccreditation provides independent reassurance to families in our communities about the quality of care they can expect.

“This assessment is about what parents experience day to day, and the feedback reflects the commitment, compassion and professionalism of our maternity teams. I want to thank everyone involved for sustaining these standards through what has been a challenging period for the NHS.”

The UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative is widely recognised as a benchmark for evidence based maternity care that supports babies’ health and development while respecting parents’ choices and circumstances.

Joanna Bassett, Director of Midwifery and Gynaecology, added: “Supporting parents to build confident, loving relationships with their babies is at the heart of maternity care. The assessors’ feedback was especially encouraging because it reflected the culture we see every day – staff taking the time to listen, support and work in partnership with families.

“This reaccreditation gives us a strong platform to keep improving. We’re proud of what has been achieved and we’re now looking ahead with the ambition to work towards the UNICEF Baby Friendly Gold Award, focusing on sustaining these standards for families over the long term.”